The Language of Music
Reading response to Artful Design: Technology in Search of the Sublime by Ge Wang, Chapter 2
Terry Feng | 10/9/2022 | Music 256A | Stanford University
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said: “Music is the universal language of mankind.” Shared across culture, language, and social strata, in every age and at every age, where there are humans, there is music. From pop to jazz to hip-hop and blues, there is an abundance of music to partake in and enjoy. From nursery rhymes to broadway musicals, music is sung, catchy, simple yet long-lasting. From cinematic soundtracks to psychedelic rock solos, music is felt, deep, expressive, and sparks our imagination. In today’s age of technology, listening to music is just a Spotify app away. Our ease and ability to consume music are unparalleled. But if music, as Longfellow put it, is a language, then it’s a two-way street. Do we all speak as much as we listen?
Chapter 2 of Artful Design traces the rise of ubiquitous technology, in particular, the rise of the smartphone. With technology more powerful and accessible than ever, we can do more than ever. As an engineer and musician, I’ve always been interested in the intersection between technology and music-making, how technology can push our limits of creativity and extend the boundaries of our musical ecosystem. In reading this chapter and thinking more about the role that technology and music play in society, I realize there is still so much potential to explore.
Music is the language of mankind, but today more than ever, it’s a language we listen to but only a few speak. Music is accessible en masse, but it’s a double-edged sword, it’s often just 1-way consumption. “I love <artist>’s new song!” “What’s your favorite genre of music?” “Music helps me relax and destress after a long day.” Now, I love and consume music in the same way. For me, music creates a vibe, it speaks to my heart and resonates deep within my soul. But the depth of music is amplified when it’s being spoken. The act of composing and writing a song expresses complex emotions and is a journey seeking meaning. Playing music for others, playing music with others, and even playing music for no other is soothing, inspiring life and vitality. I liked the analogy in Artful Design comparing music-making and cooking, both as functional yet creative art. The act of cooking is just as expressive as the final product itself.
Technology can aid and inspire our creative practice. Our computers grant not only immediate access to great albums, recordings, and artists from the past but are tools by which we can be more playful and expressive in the present. Examining iPhone apps like Ocarina or Autorap, Artful Design Principle 2.7 really stuck out to me: Designing to lower inhibition. Technology, in its widespread and versatile forms, champions music and art-making for all. It empowers the amateur, simply one who loves, to seek both the final product and the experience of fun. Go and musick — engage with, listen, create, discourse, and explore music. The language of music is for all to speak and enjoy.
Aaru: The Idyllic Video Game Sublime
As someone who loves watching films, seeing the gameplay and open world of Assasin’s Creed Origins was quite cinematic. In my mind, games entertain to pass the time, making fun the act of overcoming obstacles or telling an interactive story. Open-world games are captivating in their expansive nature, a world for a virtual projection of yourself to exist, explore, live and inhabit. They are an escape, where your desires can be achieved through a free range of action. Seeing the picturesque environment of Aaru was captivating. In a world where the sun is setting yet never sets, the environment of Aaru is idyllic. Dreamlike emotions, feelings, and interactions are certainly heightened in this carefully crafted and engineered, spellbinding afterlife.
