The Birth of Modern Music, The Value of History- a mini tribute to Raymond Scott

Our time is one  of daily paradigm changes  in  the technological, cultural and philosophical  arenas, where today’s internet superstar product is granted 5 minutes of fame only to be usurped at minute 4.5- often by the same creator or venture capitalist.  Despite the contributions to the revolution most of these individual –(and companies)- have made, they are destined to be remembered by only a few associates or researchers of the arcane.

I have been fortunate to have had many mentors –direct and incidental- who helped create or were involved from the onset in the early days of multi-image, AV and music recording.  Most of their names would be unknown or, perhaps, considered irrelevant to current installers, content creators or even heads of companies in the industry, yet they practice or build on the architecture and processes that these folks established.  I was also fortunate to have teachers in trade school who thought it was of great importance to at least expose us some of the history of the art and technology we were learning to handle.   While much of the education in the glory of my ‘forbearers’ was somewhat erudite, I did get  hands on training on split line RCA boards, refurbishing a Mellotron and the odd art of multiple projector slide shows. Much in the fashion of car restorers or mechanical archivist I was granted the oral history and hands on practical from these guys.    

One of the many quirky personalities and remarkable innovators I discovered by association (and have loved to read about and explore his work to this day) is Raymond Scott.  In a similar vein to the just as unique and visionary Joe Meek, Scott had a special relationship with music that helped change it forever. In fact he should be as well known as Les Paul for his contributions to music and the AV industry in general.  Jazz musician, inventor of the sequencer and the person nearly every sound a vending machine, ATM or ring tone makes can trace its roots back to, in one way or another.

 

 

Like Alan Turing, Raymond Scott has posthumously developed a cult following for his remarkable insight and contributions. Turning may have saved the world and Scott may just have saved music. There are a number sites –which I list below – dedicated to the work and times of Raymond Scott, if you want a one example proof of his influence- chew on this.  Mr. Scott had in his employ for some time a young electronics maven who he set to work helping finish and build circuits for his ' Electronium; that young man was none other than Bob Moog.

 Even ‘dead’ technology has something to teach and knowing where things came from provides fodder for innovation and creative thinking.  Are you teaching this information to your young wire guys and installers?  Do you, or they, know about UNIVAC? Or why we call it a ‘ Bug’ when code is erratic?

 I highly suggest finding the video collection of the ‘Connections’ series hosted by James Burke whose Scientific American essays the shows are based on.  They may not answer the previous questions but it will start you on a path to thinking about ‘just how did we wind up doing it this way’ or ‘how anyone ever thought to do that!’

The past is not dead, we live it every day, we just have to where to look.

I have linked key words in the post  with links, but i have been often asked to send the group via email. 

Raymond Scott website: http://www.raymondscott.com/

Raymond Scott synopsis:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Scott

Robert Moog overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moog

Joe Meek: http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=joe+meek&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&fp=4bd1efb53b2bf9c5

Alan Turing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing

UNIVAC http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/UNIVAC.Weston.html

The Electronium and Clavivox    http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=Electronium&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&start=0&social=false

James Burke- Connections: http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=james+burke+connections&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=DBSUS--IBZC1tgeItvDUCg&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CC8QqwQwAw#

Mellotron  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR6D1ZH2CMk