Caveats from a dyed-in-the-wool futurist

Abstract

It is recommended that we collaborate with science and industry in the search for technological innovation in media-related fields, in order to help design a future environment that will benefit a healthy musical culture. Since those of us who are already immersed in the technology are accustomed to its less attractive attributes as well as its potentials, we can consult with colleagues about essential characteristics of the old-fashioned world which we and they do not want to lose. With our collective imaginations, it should be possible to preserve many of these aspects by transforming them, with sensitivity, to fit new contexts. A few diverse examples are given of features that might be considered both attractive and endangered. Suggestions ranging from the practical to the whimsical illustrate some possibilities for injecting the essence of these experiences into a more technological world, thereby enriching it.