One of the conclusions in my book Sound Actions is that the future of music technologies lie in musicking technologies.
The term “music technology” is typically used to describe tools, instruments, and systems used to create, produce, record, and distribute music. This includes everything from microphones, digital audio workstations (DAWs), and synthesizers to streaming services and analysis tools.
I think of “musicking technology” as a wider term than music technology. It builds on Christopher Small’s concept of “musicking” as the act of taking part in music-making of any kind. It also focuses on music as an active process, not a thing.
Similarly, musicking technology refers to technologies that facilitate all parts of the musicking quadrant:
I introduce the “musicking quadrant” in Sound Actions as a way of clarifying the four main ways of dealing with music: creating, performing, perceiving, and understanding.
Traditional music technologies often focus on supporting one, concrete musical task. New, musicking technologies increasingly cross over between the different domains. This makes it possible to move from passive consumption to tools that enable active engagement with sound production, whether through instruments, software, or interactive systems.