Perfection Overkill

From the way we listen to it, to the way it is recorded and performed music has been the center of technology. From Les Paul's multi-track and legendary guitar, to Jimi Hendrix making his guitar sing through his wah-pedal through his Marshall stack our ears have witnessed technology that has pushed the boundries of music.

Since the 90's many singers to stay perfect have used a tech called auto-tune, which helps the singer stay in perfect pitch in the recording. We hear it in today's videos after it made it's debut in Cher's comeback album "Believe" in the late 90's.

While there is no question of a musicians' heart or desire for the perfect performance, and certainly the exploration of new technologies is what helps music push through it's various genres and forms, the question remains is whether if too much is used; whether we take away the heart of the performance.

Imagine listening to Bob Dylan singing "Time There a Changing" in auto-tune, or Howling Wolf, Janis Joplin, or even Elvis, early Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and The Beatles (solo careers included) themselves. For while they did use technology such as reverb and echo to enchance their vocals at times, you still heard all the perfect and some intimate moments in their respected performances, giving his or her music a pure honest quality in their performances.

While this is not an opinion for singers not to use auto tune, and yes it is great to embrace technology. But music, just as anything that has been enchanced by technology including human relations cannot be subtituted by something that technology cannot replace.

Heart!!!!