the evolution of music technology-written report

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The Evolution of Music Technology

Brittany Chisholm

319577

December 1,2006



Table of Contents

Page # Content

1 - 2 Introduction3 Flow Charts

3 Designs

3 - 27 R ough Work

28 Analysis of Inspiration

29 Conclusion

30 - 34 Personal Journal



Did you know that Canada shipped more than 24,521 music CDs in August 2006

alone? That is more than 294,252 songs, a tremendous amount of recorded music. My

chosen project is to explore and educate myself on the evolution of the music technology.My project is accompanied with a movie timeline illustrating the advances made. The

technology has made great advancements over the years, starting with the phonograph

and so far ending with MP3 players. Edison would be amazed at where we are now. Willwe be amazed at where we are going?

My project includes the following areas of interaction: Approaches to Learning,Community Service, and Homo Faber. It relates to approaches to learning because the

project helped me to identify what I am passionate about: music and technology. Through

the researching of my passion, I put together this project. The project relates to

Community Service because it helped me see the contribution of other people, likeThomas Edison, to the development of music technology. It relates to Homo Faber

because I get to explore the way that man made these devices, and what they were crafted

from, and their impact on society.

My project was achieved with five complex steps. The first step in the process is

the investigation stage. In this stage, I defined precisely what I wanted to explore; theevolution of music. Then, I formulated a question that helped me in my research; ‘how

has the recording industry changed over the years, and what technological advances have

been achieved?’ I then brainstormed on all the possible presentations of the research;timeline, concert, create a song and record it, or try to come up with the next big player.

With all this in mind, I proceeded to begin my research and the next phase: analysis.

In this stage, I finished with information accumulation and began to explore my presentation options. I started with the concert option. Financing this with the performers

and equipment would be very expensive. Due to a lack of money, I decided against this

possibility. I then pondered the next idea; create a song and record it. I personally am notmusically inclined. I know how to play a little piano and can sing along to my favourite

tunes. I do not have enough talent to compose a sonnet. I also do not have any

instruments and acquiring them would be a challenge. Thus, it would be impossiblewithout the instruments. Then, I came to the third possibility; try to create the next big

player. I am not an inventor; I do not possess enough technological expertise to create the

next player. Should I be fortunate enough to stumble upon a miraculous invention, I do

not have the resources to put together a prototype that would function enough to get my point across to other people. Finally, my mother suggested that I make a timeline on

PowerPoint to creatively portray the evolution of music technology. I love technology

and computers and I took what she said to heart, modified it, and came up with what I believe is a dynamite project. One of the modifications I made was to start with

PowerPoint and transfer it into Moviemaker, to create a visually interesting timeline. Step

one was to begin constructing the base in PowerPoint.

The next phase was to design ideas for the final product, colours, background,

music, etc. The layout was formulated and music possibilities were considered. For my

movie presentation, I decided to put the picture of the player before the information. In



the background is the music for the era that the player was released. I spent several hours

researching popular music in the time era of the players and chose what I thought was the

most appropriate piece for the time. Finally, I played around with the length of time thatthe chosen piece of music was going to play. Then, I had to decide what part of the music

did I what to play; the beginning, chorus, famous verse, etc. There was so much to choose

from that I was overwhelmed. There are so many great pieces of music narrowing downthe selection indeed proved a challenge. With the music finally selected, I proceeded to

the next step; the creation of the movie.

In this stage, I edited the PowerPoint slides and made sure that there were no

spelling mistakes. Then, I saved them as pictures and imported them in the moviemaker

program. Next, I played with timing, so people could read the slides and inserted the

music. I then burned it to a CD and created a label for it. Finally, I finished my journal.

The last of the complex steps was to reflect upon the process. I looked back on the

whole experience and realized how far music technology has come and how curious I am

to see where it will be when I am as old as my mother is.



I choose this project topic because I love music. I listen to it all the time. I love

the fact that people can express what they are feeling with lyrics; it is the expression of the soul. Some artists that I know are brilliant lyricists. They effectively express their

point with powerful imagery. The imagery can relate to the listeners in very powerful andreal way. My other passion is technology. I am constantly increasing my knowledge of it.

I am often trying to figure out how to work new programs and how to create what I want.I was curious to find out how music technology developed, and how it works. In this

project, I brought my two loves together. My initial project topic was the theory of magic.

It was interesting, but I could not devise a final project that did not involve a substantialinvestment in a camcorder to record people’s reactions.

End

Design

Creation

Reflection

Goal Write Up

Investigate

Analysis

Develop Plans

Start



I have a deeper understanding of the areas of interaction. With this project I only

read about two of them and the third one, approaches to learning, I experienced myself. I

read about Community Service and Homo Faber. In my research, Community Servicewas clearly demonstrated by Thomas Edison, who created the first recorder. His ultimate

goal was to create a device that would help businessmen. Everyone in the process that

tried to create the latest and greatest invention demonstrated Homo Faber, creations byman. I experienced approaches to learning by doing the project. Approaches to learning is

all about time management, studying, and learning skills. In this project, I had to manage

my time so I could complete it on time. I had to research and gather information tounderstand my topic and know it well. In this project, I honed my learning skills.

This project allowed me to explore an area of music that I might not have done on

my own. It taught me that the music industry has been around for hundreds of years. Inaddition, each time a new technology is created there is always someone out there trying

to make an improvement on it. In this way, they continually push the boundaries of

technology. Through the creation of my movie timeline, relatives and friends have been

able to learn and understand the evolution of music technology in a creative form.

Problems that occurred were often technological in nature .Moviemaker is proneto freeze, and I would lose all my work (I wonder when the next technological break

through will occur?). I had trouble finding some of the specific information about the

evolution from eight tracks to MP3 players. I also had trouble finding songs that werefrom the older styles of technology. Music from the 1800’s has yet to make it into MP3

format.

The success of my project was determined by my time management skills that Ideveloped to complete it. The presentation of my research is interesting and creative. I

have learned along the way that I am a logical, musical, and kinesthetic thinker. This

means that I can use numbers and logic well. It also means that I use rhythms and patterns to remember things, and I like to move around when I think. Doing this project

reinforced for me, the type of learner I am, and where my passions lie.

In hindsight, I would change my project to include guitar lessons and writing a

simple song with lyrics. In this way, I could learn an instrument and the history of that

instrument.

the evolution of music technology-written report

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