I fear I’ve been slow in seeing it and I wonder how much
I may have missed. We all can see, in abundance, how the Internet has
changed, is changing, and with very little imagination project the changes,
which will surely appear in the not too distant future.
When Facebook first appeared on the net I mistakenly
thought it was a format for teenagers; I was wrong, within a very short period
of time I had made contact with old friends from high school and conservatory
that I hadn’t seen or heard from in more years that I care to count. Among
other surprises on Facebook were numerous YouTube postings, which again, I saw
as a medium for young people to show their garage rock bands or share their
various modes of partying; it was that, but it was much more.
During the last few days I’ve found posted on my
Facebook homepage several YouTube videos that represented absolutely superb
performances of various types of music. As an example:
These five items are examples of world-class excellence
found on my Facebook home page in JUST ONE DAY.
I have no intention of doing a review here but I can
assure you of the superb level you will encounter at these sites and that
these sites will be required viewing for all my students.
In music, the best method for learning is by listening
to example and imitating it. It seems the examples of excellence available now
on the Internet are abundant and far easier to find and experience than to
research and discriminate the latest CDs.
Learning resources are changing, we are able to
experience new materials at a grater frequency than ever before; the results
are already evident and it seems clear that this greater frequency is
accelerating. Take advantage and enjoy.
Tokyo,
November 21, 2010 --- Revised August 20, 2013
