Creative Crowd-sourcing

The music industry has basically been transformed through crowd-sourced documentation. It’s never been easier to access music from various genres and eras. A quick Wikipedia search not only includes biographical information about artist, but typically there are, links to their outside web spaces, track listings, discographies, affiliations, and collaborations.  Wikipedia has become a primary source for introducing new, or re-introducing unknown genres to a broad audience.  It’s the kind of site one goes to when they’ve heard an act for the first time and want to find out about the artist, work or the genre, to find new artists and works to get into. It’s also never been easier to create music.  Many new artists begin with cover songs that come up easily on a simple Internet search.  Fans (or in this case experts) of the original artist then weigh in on the success of the new artist’s interpretation. There has recently been a surge in online musical collaborations through YouTube, where musicians can literally record music with thousands of miles of space between them.  

A great example of the pros and cons of crowd-sourced documents at work is Opera and Classical music.  While they still lag behind pop singers, Opera and classical singers and musicians are taking advantage of the opportunities a strong web presence has on their careers.  Many hold YouTube, Facebook, and/or Twitter accounts.  A growing number have Wikipedia pages with biographies updated to resemble what is on their professional websites.  In recent years, this has been an industry viewed as elitist, inaccessible, and is experiencing a steady decline in many major markets. While many of those well acquainted lament the its decline, the World Wide Web has broaden the reach of this music to new audiences, through the new media the Internet facilitates. 

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Before a fan pays hundreds of dollars for a ticket to see their favourite mainstream artist perform in a top-tier venue, they are usually primed with a full promotional campaign (music videos, recordings, endorsements etc.). While people see little issue paying top dollar to see a mainstream pop act, they see little value in spending what in some cases is less to see live Opera or classical music.  Among other things, I believe this has a great deal to do with exposure. YouTube allows audiences to acquaint themselves with the genre, before they decide to spend the money to support it. Also, I have personally spoken to conductors who have admitted they have hired singers based on their YouTube performances.  Take for example, the work of contemporary Classical music composer Eric Whitacre.  In his TED Talk he talks about what his transition into Classical music from initial desire to be a pop star.  His story culminates into his 2000-voice choir project created entirely online through YouTube.  Mr. Whitacre has since produced four more recordings with singers from all over the world, with a variety of backgrounds, languages, ethnicities and cultures. An example of his amazing work can be seen at the end of this post.

Web-based documents can be expose people from all over the world to these genres, thereby developing new audiences, tastes, and interpretations.  A South African version of the well-known aria "Habenera" by French composer Georges Bizet’s Carmen is one such example.  The award-winning Khoisan adaptation of the popular French opera is an illustration of the increasing popularity of Opera among black people of South Africa. My white Canadian 60-something year-old singing teacher discovered it on YouTube and was in awe and told me about it. Go figure. These types of open source web spaces are gradually changing the place music holds in our society by addressing many previous obstacles of involving class, culture and location simultaneously. The Opera and Classical genres are no different and they stand to reap the benefits.

These days, it’s easy to auto-tune anyone singing a cover song, work up a solid visual presentation and voila! You have the main ingredients for a career as a pop star, or at least a YouTube star (which, some might argue, are quickly becoming synonymous). There are many performers who can barely keep pitch, and have never set foot in a music teacher’s studio, using only online resources as training. As result, many develop a host of vocal and physical problems due to poor technique and career misguidance.  Becoming a classical singer/musician usually takes a minimum of 10 years of training to handle the rigors of a professional career. Crowd-sourced documents, while being inferior forums for practical education, they are great for providing supplementing what one does on stage or in the studio. One forum site I frequent called The New Forum for Classical Singers attracts fans, professionals, up-and-comers, and educators from around the world to exchange practical resources, information, and advice on a variety of relevant topics like finding good teachers and coaches, choosing repertoire, professional programs, or the best countries to work in. There are also resources for finding Opera and classical music repertoire, include Aria Database, The Lied, Art Song, and Choral Texts Archive, and Art Song Central. Finally, two widely used wiki sites, IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library and, of course, Wikipedia. These provide user sourced public domain sheet music, lyrics, translations, and comprehensive information on the genre, composers and works both obscure and relevant. These are invaluable resources for anyone who aspires to work in the genre as a producer or performer.

I have focused on Opera and Classical music, but the value and setbacks of crowd-sourced documents are relevant to all musical genres and other art forms.  One thing is for certain this type of documentation engages the community, and thus strengthens the value of knowledge in our culture.  It turns the power of knowing into the power to create and build new experiences that have the potential to enrich all our lives.

Now, get some SLEEP! ;)

Eric Whitacre - Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir 2.0, 'Sleep'