Beethoven in your living room (or on the subway)

Recently came across an interesting article discussing how music has become ubiquitous due to mp3 players, car stereos, cell phone ringtones and the like:

"...devices like the iPod threaten to decontextualize and thus dull the impact of music even further. The iPod's shuffle feature may be a great way to sample the range of your record collection; but I would argue that hearing Beethoven butted up against Dr. Dre hinders appreciation of either artist, in the same way that creme brule makes a lousy side dish to kim chee."

This reminds me somewhat of what Benjamin Britten had to say when he received the first Aspen Award in 1964:

"Anyone, anywhere, at any time can listen to the B minor Mass upon one condition only - that they possess a machine. No qualification is required of any sort - faith, virtue, education, experience, age. Music is now free for all...Music demands more from a listener than simply the possession of a tape-machine or a transistor radio."

I don't really want to get into a whole discussion about music dying at the hands of technology, but I would like to make a few points. I think that having music at our fingertips can be a good thing. See Kyle Gann's post about using mp3's as a teaching tool. This is a great idea and I think many music professors are breathing a collective sigh of relief about having entire semester listening lists at their disposal. But I think having music available at all times has contributed to a somewhat short-attention span way of listening to music. When it is everywhere, it is harder to focus even when one wants to. I always feel weird when I'm listening to a larger musical work on a recording and then I have to go out or become distracted doing something else, leaving the work unresolved. Surely that's not what the composer had in mind when writing the music in question. On the other hand, recordings have allowed many of us to enjoy works we might not otherwise get to hear. Still, it does make it difficult to fully appreciate a live performance when we are used to having the freedom to come and go as we please. I guess what I am saying is we all need to take time out to really focus on music, to let it move us as intended. To let it teach us something about the world or to provide a respite from so many of the horrible things that surround us. It may sound cliche, but music really is a sanctuary. Embrace it.