Hello,
I was hoping a few of you could help me with the situation I am currently
facing. You see, I am in my final year here at Virginia Tech in beautiful
Blacksburg, completing the dual majors of music and communications. My
intention upon entering school was to begin gaining the skills necessary in
becoming a record producer. I loved to perform (trumpet and piano, that is)
but could not find the desire within me to be a composer, so I chose the
behind-the-scenes route. However, I realized my interests lie not in the
production of other artists' music but in the crafting of my own (a lifelong
dream, I guess), plus my non-technical mind could not handle the
engineer-based flavor of the classes. I simultaneously found myself slowly
falling in love with more "synthesized" forms of music...
Facing my last year of school, I knew I would have to make some serious
decisions concerning my future, seeing as how my aspirations as a producer
were falling by the wayside and interest in my overall studies had waned
dramatically. However, my love for techno was growing stronger, especially
through the research necessary for my senior project: a scholarly web page
documenting the history of electronic music, the scope of which has now
sensibly narrowed to the development of strictly techno. I, of course, come
from a trance raver background and once fell prey to the utopian dreams it
falsely portrayed. But even then I knew there was some essential element
missing, beyond the drugs and the vibes and the pounding music. Perfection
had not yet been reached. I have waded through reams of insipid raver
jargon to discover what I consider pure art: the untainted work of the
Detroit pioneers.
I would like to break into the techno scene somehow but don't know how to
begin. Is DJing an imperative step in the assimilation process? If not,
what compositional technologies should I pursue? Where besides Detroit
(since I'm somewhat put off by cold weather) can I find the most receptive
and open minds for this music, or is the Detroit THE prime area for
inspiration? Being a struggling college student, I don't have the financial
means to just go out and buy DJ or production equipment to begin my
"education." Hell, I can hardly afford to buy the CDs that serve as my
inspiration (not to mention the selection in this region is less than
adequate). If I am to make any serious investments after graduation then I
need to be sure the money is wisely spent, especially seeing as how some
items may have to be pawned. I also want to ensure my choice of residence
is key before I sign any kind of lease.
I become more hard-set and artistically driven by the day, and I want to
take advantage of this passion before I fall into the standard repetitive
workaday doldrums that captures most Americans. I appreciate any help any
of you could give me. Oh yeah, and I apologize for the length of this
message, but I just wanted to get my point across.
Rusty
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