Electronic Music Production as Design
I'm sure others have made this comparison before, but I was thinking about how electronic music production vis-a-vis conventional songwriting is similar to the dichotomy between design and art. It is conventionally argued that design is concerned with craftsmanship and functionality while art (be it painting, illustration or other forms of self-expression) is concerned with creative expression. So, although a Steinway piano may be a beautiful work of craftsmanship, the creators of the piano were not trying to express creativity but to make a high-quality functional product. The beauty inherent in the craftsmanship is a side effect of the craftsmanship, rather than being a goal unto itself.Graphic Design
Of course, in the case of graphic design, there is much more room for creative expression. I would still argue, however, that with graphic design the goal is not to express the creativity of the designer but to make a well-crafted, high-quality and functional product: a design that communicates on the client's behalf, rather than being an original creative expression of the designer. (This is not to say that designers are not creative, only that they harness their creative energy towards practical ends, i.e. the business agreement with their client).
Electronic Music is "Designed"
Now, to draw the comparison to electronic music production. At this point, electronic music is such a huge field that there are hundreds of exceptions, but in general, I believe that electronic music is "designed." By this I mean that it is created to be functional, to have a desired impact, and that the intention of the creator is not to express themselves creatively but to reach a desired outcome (e.g. to make the crowd dance). The electronic music producer is the crafter of a sonic experience that is meant to affect the listener. It may tell a story and may be the expression of great creativity on the part of the producer, but I would argue that this creative expression is a side effect of the efforts at function and not the goal in and of itself.
Functional Is Beautiful
The idea I would like to express is that when you follow the precepts of design (attention to detail, functional systems, plans to reach desired outcomes), with the goal of creating something functional, it is still a creative expression and the outcome can be beautiful. I am reminded of this quote by Bucky Fuller:
"When I'm working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong."
-R. Buckminster Fuller
Labels: design, electronic music, music theory, production