Fun @ foo
Had a great time at foo camp. I don’t think I can remember an event where I had so many interesting conversations in so short a time. I even hosted a talk on Art+Music+Technology. And people came to it. Miracle.
What I found most interesting about my session were the conclusions we reached. I started by asking “what’s now artistically/musically possible with today’s Internet connected gadgets?”. I figured the group would come up with some cool ideas for applications and/or gadget types.
Instead we concluded something I didn’t expect: the Internet and new technologies are going to radically increase the number of people who can participate in the making of art/music because the bar for mastering new types of instruments and tools will be dramatically lowered. In essence, new technologies and connectivity are making it easier for anyone to become an artist. I think that’s a huge win and incredibly important.
Art and music creation/performance should not just be reserved for the elite. A couple people in the group voiced the concern that by lowering the bar you increase the pressure on existing artists as their craft becomes less meaningful. I would bet that this is true for every technical leap that increases our ability to create or distribute content. In other words, it’s an issue that content creators have faced with technology since the printing press was invented. I think we can call that one a success…
Thanks to the whole O’Reilly team for hosting such an awesome event.
