The Future of Information Technology in Music Research and Practice

Several important issues and themes emerged from the first expert seminar on music. The first of these was the need for a robust technological infrastructure for music-related ICT, including architectures, protocols and representations that support the development of flexible, extensible, affordable and interoperable music processing systems. Much discussion also focused on the problems involved in designing music software systems that are both powerful and easy to use. Another question that stimulated considerable debate at the expert seminar was whether ICT will or should cause a gradual evolution or a sudden revolution in musical practices. One of the main conclusions reached was that there is an urgent need to raise trans-disciplinary awareness in the field: music specialists should be made more aware of the limitations and potentials of technology; and technologists should better understand the real needs of music practitioners. It was also generally agreed that considerable effort should be put into promoting a culture of inter-disciplinary collaboration in which we exploit rather than fear the knowledge of those who are expert in fields other than our own.