Realtime Music Solutions

Moriarty Interview

Bill Moriarty retired as President of Local 802 at the start of 2004.

Shortly after we posted our position statement with a link to his exit interview, Local 802 pulled the interview from its web site. We apologize to anybody who tried to access this article who received a broken link.

We find it very interesting and telling that the new leadership at Local 802 feels the need to block access to supportive remarks made by the prior leadership. The relevant portion of the interview is quoted below. It originally appeared in the January 2004 issue of Allegro, Local 802's newsletter.

----------------

Recording Vice President, Bill Denizen: Looking back over the last 11 years of your presidency, how has the music business changed in New York?

Bill Moriarty: I think that the technology we've dealt with for literally decades has been accelerating, especially in the area of acoustic instrument replacement by electronic means. We've seen it most clearly on Broadway, but certainly there has also been a greater willingness on the part of small ballet companies to use recordings, and there is a greater acceptance on the part of the public of a "non-live musician product" than there was 10 or 15 or 20 years ago, and that's a problem we have to grasp.

BD: How do you think the union can respond to changes of that nature?

BM: History has shown that to fight [technology] in an inflexible way, and to put what we do against what they do, has not been a very productive strategy - we've tried it on a number of occasions. I think that we need to learn to accept some of this technology as legitimate ways of musical expression and learn to work within those technologies and with those technologies in order for us to continue to survive.

Allegro Editor, Mikael Elsila: Can you elaborate on what you mean by "working with technology"? Do you mean acquiescing to technology or admitting we have to bend to it?

BM: I think that all of those technologies have within them, the possibility that they are a legitimate, real instrument for musical expression.

ME: Virtual orchestras are "legitimate"?

BM: I think we have to admit that the technology has, within it, the ability to serve an expressive purpose. There are going to be people who are going to use those technologies to create music - to create communication through music - with an audience. I think we have to not pose ourselves in opposition to them, but try to pose ourselves as another way, as another voice. This [technology] is not anybody trying to subsume anything else, but a new opportunity to have different ways of expressing yourself that can work with the old ways, and old ways can work with them. I really believe that has to happen.

ME: So we're not seen as the ones who prevent small towns from having musical theatre, when they use virtual orchestras, for instance?

BM: I don't know that that's the only use for this technology. I think that technology is going to have far greater expressive and creative uses than that. I think that serious musicians are working with that technology to explore those areas. I think we have to be open to that. We can't just say "no" to the technology. We're not going to make the technology go away. We're going to have to be there with it.


Moriarty Interview Bill Moriarty retired as President of Local 802 at the start of 2004. Shortly after we posted our position statement with a link to his exit interview, Local 802 pulled the interview from its web site. We apologize to anybody who tried to access this article who received a broken link. We find it very interesting and telling that the new leadership at Local 802 feels the need to block access to supportive remarks made by the prior leadership. The relevant portion of the interview is quoted below. It originally appeared in the January 2004 issue of Allegro, Local 802's newsletter. ---------------- Recording Vice President, Bill Denizen: Looking back over the last 11 years of your presidency, how has the music business changed in New York? Bill Moriarty: I think that the technology we've dealt with for literally decades has been accelerating, especially in the area of acoustic instrument replacement by electronic means. We've seen it most clearly on Broadway, but certainly there has also been a greater willingness on the part of small ballet companies to use recordings, and there is a greater acceptance on the part of the public of a "non-live musician product" than there was 10 or 15 or 20 years ago, and that's a problem we have to grasp. BD: How do you think the union can respond to changes of that nature? BM: History has shown that to fight [technology] in an inflexible way, and to put what we do against what they do, has not been a very productive strategy - we've tried it on a number of occasions. I think that we need to learn to accept some of this technology as legitimate ways of musical expression and learn to work within those technologies and with those technologies in order for us to continue to survive. Allegro Editor, Mikael Elsila: Can you elaborate on what you mean by "working with technology"? Do you mean acquiescing to technology or admitting we have to bend to it? BM: I think that all of those technologies have within them, the possibility that they are a legitimate, real instrument for musical expression. ME: Virtual orchestras are "legitimate"? BM: I think we have to admit that the technology has, within it, the ability to serve an expressive purpose. There are going to be people who are going to use those technologies to create music - to create communication through music - with an audience. I think we have to not pose ourselves in opposition to them, but try to pose ourselves as another way, as another voice. This [technology] is not anybody trying to subsume anything else, but a new opportunity to have different ways of expressing yourself that can work with the old ways, and old ways can work with them. I really believe that has to happen. ME: So we're not seen as the ones who prevent small towns from having musical theatre, when they use virtual orchestras, for instance? BM: I don't know that that's the only use for this technology. I think that technology is going to have far greater expressive and creative uses than that. I think that serious musicians are working with that technology to explore those areas. I think we have to be open to that. We can't just say "no" to the technology. We're not going to make the technology go away. We're going to have to be there with it.

About :: Support :: Forum :: Products :: Productions :: News :: Podium :: Contact