I just don’t know what to make of Microsoft Songsmith. Basically, you sing into the software and it automagically adds a musical accompaniment so you don’t have to. Novel, sure. Right? I don’t know! It makes me want to cry. Observe:
What to make of this? Well, it’s clearly got to be placed somewhere in the disruptive technology/convergent technology vein, I think… Is it a game? Is it a legitimate content creation tool? What ever it is, it’s hurting my brain trying to place it. Help me out after the jump.
But, the Internet never fails me. User azz1c at YouTube found the perfect way to commodify the sucker, by feeding vocal tracks of classic songs into Songsmith and seeing what it spits out. Here’s the rumba version of The Police’s Roxanne:
And here’s an interesting take on The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band:
I think… my final observation will be that not only do at least the above two examples fit nicely into the neverending stream of meme culture and the new wave of storytelling via hybridization, commodification, and bastardization, but this also signals the end of humanity. Technology can be used for good and for evil, no doubt about it… unless it’s this particular technology, which brings no good to the human race, nor ever will. May heaven have mercy on us all.
You might also enjoy...
Tags: commodification, convergence, hybridization, meme, Microsoft, music, Songsmith, storytelling, web culture, web humor