Time for a little 'Ranty McRant'

Hello again, fine people.

Somes people lie (blatant and obvious: 'I hate that Friday song'). Sometimes people tell a white lie (in which the liar tells the lie-ee that he/she looks good whilst wearing tights-as-pants, to avoid hurting their feelings). Sometimes people lie accidentally, in which they didn't lie to begin with, but went back on their word so, six months down the track, what they originally said is now a lie (I'm not sure whether this actually constitutes as a proper LIE but lets just all agree with me).

This last type of lie is something I have come across in the recent present.

I (and two of my fellow members of Honeybone) am completing my final year of an Honours Music Degree at the wonderful Otago University. Part of the Honours programme of a contemporary rock music degree is a paper which allows students to produce and record an album. I am rather excited about this project, which is also a little daunting as I don't know much about the actual technology of recording. Drew, Josh and I are all enrolled in this paper (MUSI445) and Drew is going to record the Honeybone album as his project.

So what is this 'ranty mcrant' really about, I hear you ponder whilst you stroke your beards?

This guy knows what I'm talking about

Today we had a 445 class, half of which was spent debating the Music Department's sudden change of policy about who gets access to what at what time (eg. us Honeybone kids not being able to get into the msuci dept. studios last weekend, even though our paper profile states we have 24/7 access). This debate then ventured into the 'rehearsal time' zone, with our teacher relaying 'their' (they being the men in the suits upstairs) views on the fact that a band recording an album shouldn't need to practice every week. This really got my goat, as (on weekends) most of the rehearsal spaces aren't being used so we wouldn't be hurting anybody, and the spaces would be utilised.

Goat being gotten

But, all debates aside, what I really want to talk about is the desk (mixing desk, which is used for recording music/sound, for all you non-techies). Oh yes THE desk. The one you've all (if you live in dunedin and get ODT) read about. The one I got extremely excited about last year, when I decided to definitely do the 445 paper (instead of the 46 version, the stream I took in previous years, which turns you into a session musician, focussing on your skills and techniques as a player).

You can read all about the desk here.

In the above article, the head of department states 'The equipping of the studio with the new technology will also lead to greater creativity and opportunities for innovation for postgraduate students of music within the University’s Music Department'.

WAIT A MINUTE!

 Post-grad students get to use the desk? Is that what you said?

What's that you're saying?

I'm no University expert, but I'm assuming a 4th year Honours student is considered to be a past-grad, yes? (please correct me if I am wrong).

However, upon entering the very first gathering of us fine 445 fellows, we were told that under no such circumstances will we be allowed to record using the Holy Grail of musical equipment. Sure, we can watch someone else play with it, while the saliva drips from our un-deserving and irresponsible lips, but to record with it for our own projects is simply out of the question.

Now, I can understand some of their arguments. Yes, it is a veeerrry expensive piece of equipment (note the extra r's and e's), and I wouldn't have the slightest idea how to work it, but isn't that the point of university? To learn things that previously went right over your head, like trying to understand Chewbacca? Couldn't they just have someone supervise us as we twisted knobs and pushed buttons to our hearts content?

Sorry John, no amount of double-tracking will make Bieber sound manly

So theres that elusive accidental lie, where (I'm guessing) the powers that be originally wanted to use the equipment for educational purposes (which would not be unusual in a tertiary institution), but once they got their hands on this million dollar deal, they acted like a small child in the playground who brags about having the best toy around, yet won't let the plebs play with it.


As Des'ree sublimely put it, Oh Life.

PS:  However this blog entry may seem to 'diss' the Music Department, I am simply stating my opinion. I think that, while there is certainly room for improvement, the Music Dept is an awesome department to be involved with, they've taught me a lot and for that I thank them.