What Happens When Technology
and Music Meet? –
Virtual Choir Live

I had the pleasure of watching Eric Whitacre’s first presentation on TED Talks of the visionary performances of his Virtual Choirs. In fact, I wrote about this powerful reimagining of the use of technology to produce some of the most beautiful music ever shared at:

• http://organicmountains.com/musings-from-queenbee/
• http://organicmountains.com/musings-from-queenbee-2/
• http://organicmountains.com/virtual-choir-update/

Technology Can Be Used for Good

Unfortunately, there has been a real trend in alternative spirituality to resist technology at all costs. Certainly, there are technological advances that seem less than helpful, e.g., GMOs, predator drones, and so on. To me, these inventions seem to be extreme, low frequency uses for technology. On the other hand, I’ve seen technology vibrate at a very high frequency and do a great deal of good. There is the artificial heart that has saved many lives. Wired and wireless communications have connected the world so that it functions as One Consciousness. So, it would appear to me that there is more a need for balance when using technology, just as there is a need for balance in using any tool or process.

Virtual Choir Live

I would like to share a YouTube video of one of Eric Whitacre’s latest TED Talks. In this presentation Eric so ably demonstrates the balance between technology and art and nature. He uses skype to bring part of his choir into the presentation, and their performance of Eric’s tone poem about a rain storm is so reminiscent of a thunder storm, it’s almost eery. This holistic approach to music merits more consideration by other composers and performers. See for yourself: