In this final unit drawing on our discussions with Clive, we explore the future potential and difficulties associated with making music online. The issues of blended learning, audio and latency and emotional latency are addressed.

Online activities have exploded under the pandemic. But how optimistic are you about the future? Are these new developments a temporary fix or will they mark a new positioning for our musical relationships that will have a longer term impact on our working moving forwards?

Watch the following video:

Are you as optimistic as Clive is about the future? Have we only just scratched the surface in terms of the potential of online music making and teaching?

Clive addresses the issue associated with audio latency in the middle of the video. It does seem certain that future technological developments will address the limitations that we currently experience in this respect. However, Clive’s extension of this issue into the arena of ‘emotional latency’ is more problematic. He asks a fundamental question that it is worth reflecting on more deeply:

“Are we able to connect as an ensemble online in the same way that we can off line? Is that imperceptible gesture, that imperceptible change of tone, is that going to be realised online in such a way as to shape the music in the same way?”

What is your response to this question?

Related resources

Read and listen to how five musicians are responding to the pandemic and still moving their music making forwards in productive ways (including a lovely song about social distancing by Randy Newman)

Further information about Clive and his work