Just about everybody likes some kind of music. We all have our preferences. We appreciate an artist’s work, and do our best to participate to support them via live events and concerts.
But all of this could change in the near future.
A large portion of today’s popular music recordings require the intensive use of technology––computers, synthesizers, virtual instruments, amplifiers, and so on.
How could this profoundly affect live performance?
Well, how about going to a concert where an anime-like character is dancing and singing? This is already happening in Japan, where a holographic creation has become a bonafide star.
You might be stunned to see how many people buy tickets to see pop sensation Hatsune Miku perform. But “she” is not a real person at all. She is a vocaloid.
What’s a vocaloid?
The technology is similar to what Siri is in Apple products. Miku’s “voice” is created through sophisticated computer programming. But if Miku is a computer-generated character, how can Miku perform in a live?
In a concert setting, the backing band onstage is comprised of real flesh & blood musicians. Miku is brought to life via a hologram, which is projected onto large glass panes positioned on the front of the stage. This gives the image depth and dimension, making “her” look “real.”
Is Miku the perfect lead singer for a band? She never makes mistakes. She never stops to catch her breath. She flawlessly executes both singing and dancing routines. Every performance may be the same, but it is, uh, “perfect.”
Believe it or not, it is her audience that creates Miku’s repertoire. With the help of the “Yamaha Voicaloid Program,” anyone who takes the time to learn the software can have fun with Miku, making her sing whatever they want. Her songs are garnered from the many amateur musicians around the world who have contributed to her growing library of material.
Onstage, Miku is made to look as realistic as possible (well, for a cartoon), giving the impression that she actually does exist. Her performance outfits are carefully designed and her presentation is complemented by a headset and a wireless microphone. She can even rest one of her holographic legs on one of the real amps on the stage––just like human singers do.
Occasionally she disappears, allowing other guest vocaloids to take her place––as if she got tired by then endless singing and dancing. It is amazing how detailed these concerts are. If you want to find out more about Hatsune Miku phenomenon, and how she is taking the music world by storm, go here.
Would we really rather see these kind of fabricated characters on the stage? Or do we prefer real people performing in real time? For now, it seems the answer is “both.”
It’s difficult to gauge how far singing holograms will evolve. Currently, audiences in Japan are mesmerized by these performances. It’s not unusual to have people cheering and screaming at Miku’s concerts, just like they do for flesh-and-bones artists.
Is it really possible to forget that what they see (and hear) does not actually exist?