Interesting comments about the music suffering for the "separation of artists and instruments". Intuitively, I'd reach the opposite conclusion. As technology changes, music adapts. To me, rock n roll is the musical child of the electric guitar. Had the piano not come along to follow the harpsichord, music would certainly have evolved differently. You can be pretty confident that piano music alienated a fair # of harpsichord music lovers and you know that rock n roll pissed off a whole lot of folks.
Today, computers (and derivative electronics) are often the instruments of choice and music has morphed to accommodate that. The skills required to make music may have changed, but skills are still required. For me, it's progress, even if the results don't move me very often.
Most of the music I love comes from artists whose careers started 40+ years ago and very little comes from new artists exploiting new approaches. That is, I do like a fair # of young singer songwriter types, but I don't like much hip hop or electronica. The fact that I don't love it, however, would never lead me to conclude that it sucks.
Just MHO
Today, computers (and derivative electronics) are often the instruments of choice and music has morphed to accommodate that. The skills required to make music may have changed, but skills are still required. For me, it's progress, even if the results don't move me very often.
Most of the music I love comes from artists whose careers started 40+ years ago and very little comes from new artists exploiting new approaches. That is, I do like a fair # of young singer songwriter types, but I don't like much hip hop or electronica. The fact that I don't love it, however, would never lead me to conclude that it sucks.
Just MHO