There is something to be said about the classical musical discipline in the context of electronic music. Matters of production and sound quality aside, I do not think I've personally improved much in the realm of music making in the past couple of years. But, what does that realm consist of? Let us examine that. Music is a form of artistic expression, first of all. This expression can potentially take on the form of many things, but at the crux, it is how well it can communicate a particular feeling or impression upon someone else.

Traditionally, the musician has had a set of acceptable harmonies and complementary melodies at his disposal in order to express him/herself, as well as the set of time-period-consistent instruments for the practical element. These sets have been expanding rapidly for most of the recent century and modern times. Not only have more and more obscure harmonies and combinations of harmonies become acceptable, but more instruments and synthetic instruments have become available. The modern composer has more tools to use and conventions to draw from than any predecessor. This should not be surprising. Though there have been many shifts in the styles of music that are popular and acceptable over the centuries, this legacy is cumulative and one may draw inspiration from any and all assets that are part of it.

The sound quality of music has always been regarded as important, but until recent developments in electronic/digital music, the methods by which sound quality may have been controlled were very few. In an orchestral setting, the amount of control over sound was limited to setting the amount of instruments in each section and the volume at which they played (perhaps a slight over-simplification, but bear with me). Keep in mind that the standard orchestral setup has not significantly changed over hundreds of years, and, in fact, remains quite similar today. Electronic music, on the other hand, has transcended these particular limitations, and many more. Sound design can now be controlled on all virtually all levels, from sound and harmonic shaping, to volume and compression balancing. There are many creative decisions to make in the area of sound design, without even touching on the melody writing aspect, that will surely affect the overall impression a composition will have on listeners.

The role of classical musical discipline in electronic music should not be ignored, though, unfortunately, it often times is. I believe that much of modern electronic music lacks the foundation that is derived from understanding what makes non-electronic music good. Regardless, I still enjoy a lot of it, as it more than makes up for it through interesting or convincing sound design.

Making compelling music is part music theory, part sound design, and a whole lot of experience in both. I've been getting some experience in the latter, but not so much the former. I notice myself re-using similar melodic and harmonic patterns across songs because it's trodden ground. It is easy because there are so many other elements/variables in electronic music that distract from the core musical concept. Or do they complement it? It's a delicate balance.

Forgive the rambling nature of this commentary, dear reader. I may revisit many of these topics at a later time, perhaps when my thoughts are more organized.