Before delving into any discussion of online collaboration for musicians, it would appear to be important to justify why such a thing is necessary in the first place. Anyone attempting to absorb and understand the topic must see, at least, that the importance of the whole concept of collaboration cannot be understated.
The rudimentary dictionary definition states that to collaborate is “To work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort.� This in itself shines a light onto the idea of music and collaborating. The idea of working together is key – it is not enough for a musician to simply interpret or perform another’s work, simple because in such a situation the involvement of others in the artistic performance is negated. The creative input and background of any other performers is rendered unimportant – they are simply doing as they are told, they are being led. Ultimately, while this may lead to a more “complete� kind of music, it is still lacking the vital element that a co-operative situation introduces.
In passing, a famous American piano institute refers to collaboration as a dialogue between the involved parties. It would seem important to expand on this concept. When one converses with another, more often than not the intention is not just to speak but also to listen. The purpose of this listening is to absorb, to combine ideas, to see what can be gained from another’s input, be it wisdom, advice or guidance. And so it is with this “dialogue� in a creative situation with another party. One is not seeking simply to show off one’s creations, but to see what can come of a meeting of minds. A concise way of saying all this would certainly hark back to the old adage that two heads are better than one.
Some have said that the most interesting collaborations come from the most unlikely of collaborators, and numerous examples exist in modern music. One of the most famous of examples would surely be that of the meeting of minds between producer and father of ambient music Brian Eno, and one of the leading figures of Progressive Rock, Robert Fripp of the band King Crimson. Their work together created some extremely significant recordings in the 1970s, and has carried on to today. The point here, though, is that without this collaboration with Eno, Fripp’s much-revered and impersonated Frippertronics system would never have come to be. While the details of this may be significant only to fans, the central point remains clear – had they not worked together, the creative output of both individuals would have been lessened.
A more modern example would be that of when Ben Gibbard of pop band Death Cab for Cutie agreed to an initial collaboration with Jimmy Tamborello, an electronic musician who goes by the name of Dntel. The latter sent a tape of an instrumental track to the former, who then recorded his vocals and sent the tape back. The track (which appeared on the album Life Is Full of Possibilities) was so ‘successful’ (this refers to both success in terms of appreciation by fans and by commercial achievement) that an entire album was conceived this way, released under the name The Postal Service and entitled Give Up. This record has gone on to enjoy staggering commercial success, far exceeding either members' previous projects.
These examples reflect how already successful artists find new ideas and new acclaim through collaboration. By the very nature of their situation, however, more amateur musicians require collaboration to further their artistic pursuits, and it is the place of this collaboration in the modern technological world that this collection of data aims to look at.
--Nick Smethurst 15:59, 21 Oct 2004 (EST)
