Culture Points vs Technology Points

As most of you know, it is important to accumulate some number of “culture points” as one progresses through life. This tends to facilitate a personal appreciation for a broad spectrum of artful expression. It’s also important to accumulate “technology points.” In this day and age, it’s almost impossible to NOT accumulate such points unless one completely avoids telephones, TV’s, VCR’s, cell phones, and ATM’s.

That brings me to this question:  If one experiences live streaming content via the world wide web and that content is a concert, does one accumulate an equal number of points in both culture and technology? I’ll let the reader ponder that on an individual level while I share my encounter.

Several hundred “posters” promoting the concert were distributed via the internet.

A few less than that large number appeared in the concert hall. However, the performance was streamed live over the internet and potentially billions of music lovers from all over the globe were able to see and hear the works.

I was, indeed, a “virtual” attendee interested in this concert both because I was personally invited by the composer and because I felt I was a bit low on culture points.

I arrived early to ensure my seats, sound system, and light levels were correctly adjusted. Then I realized that technology points were to be a part of this affair as well.

Observations for technology points:

Having visited this particular school in recent years, it was interesting to see how a fixed camera (no close in tracking movement of a performer on stage) effected the visual presentation of a musical concert.  If the conductor or a musician was “off camera” while being the featured speaker or instrumentalist at a given moment, the limited movement (no tracking) might leave the virtual audience wondering what was happening off camera.

Introduced for the first time, as far as I know, was the concept of no paper programs being distributed prior to the concert. Again, since this was being streamed live over the internet, there is no way to know who would come upon the event while exploring the web and perhaps decide to linger and listen.

Instead, the composer chose to speak the program for all physical attendees and the potential web attendee thereby ensuring that all listeners had the exact same information regardless of ones actual location.

Observations for culture points:

The music was completely enjoyable.  The performers where clearly experts in their field of study and chosen instruments, they appeared to be completely connected to the music, and they worked well together. The composer seemed a bit shy about his work while presenting the “program” live; just reading the script to the global audience. But there was nothing shy about the presentation and execution of the musical pieces themselves. There was variety, precision, and even a bit of mirth in the song cycles.

Connection with the participants is part of the reason to attend concerts in person. When that cannot happen for whatever reason, live streaming with a spoken program helps to bridge the gap. All the talented people who contributed to this effort are to be applauded. It was they who made the event truly special.

Finally, Tufts University leadership should be congratulated for investing in the internet streaming technology for the arts. Expanding the reach and exposure of the arts through the available telecommunication infrastructure can have a positive impact on teaching and entertainment — culture points and technology points in equal measure.