of Microprocessors

6 MUSICAL ApPLICATIONS OF MICROPROCESSORS
heights of inaudibility. Any sound may be made as loud or as soft as desired.
Thunderous, gut-shaking bass chords are available as is the most subtle solo
melody.
.Certainly a musician working with electronics is not limited by the
sounds available for composition.
Performance by the Composer
Another goal sought by many electronic muStclans is, to be blunt,
omnipotence. It is now possible for a single person to compose, perform, and
criticize a piece of music of any degree of complexity desired. No longer is it
necessary to write the music down part by part and find an orchestra to play
it, and then correctly only after considerable practice. Instead, the composer
can play the piece sequentially by part and have the parts combined' in a
recording studio. Or, with the aid of a computer, proper notation of the
music is itself sufficient to pr:ecisely direct the performance.
Interpretation of conventional scores has always been a problem. Many
important variables are left unspecified. Filling in these gaps is left to the
conductor (who may indeed be the composer himself) and the individual
players. In cases in which some aspect of the music is unconventional, the
fact that the performers are musicians too with their own ideas may make
execution according to the composer's wishes very difficult. With the use of
electronics, the composer himself can be in complete control of the performance.
Passages can be repeated and experimented with in search of perfection
subject only to the patience of the composer. Nobody other than the
composer himself needs to hear or judge the work until it is in final form.
Because of the vast repertoire of new sounds. available, it is less likely
that the desired sounds and their combinations can be chosen using only
prior knowledge and imagination. Just as the classical composer worked with
a piano to experiment with melodies and rhythms, the contemporary composer
needs to experiment. Electronics allows such experimentation with
immediate, or nearly so, feedback of results. Additionally, the costs are such
that expenmentation is usually practical as well as possible.
The majority of money spent on musical instruments in this country is
by individuals who are not in any sense professional musicians. To these
people, playing an instrument is a very enjoyable, creative pastime. The
increasing popularity of organs over pianos and other instruments in the
home is probably due to the greater versatility of the organ. Electronic organ
manufacturers have been very quick to adopt new technology that increases
the capabilities of their instruments and makes them easier to learn and use.
In the not too distant future, programmable electronic instruments will
allow anyone with clear ideas and time to try their hand at composing and
performing truly serious music strictly for fun.
Certainly, a musician working with electronics is not limited by anyone
else in what can be achieved.