Technology vs. Music by Michael

Technology vs. Music by Michael - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

As I was enjoying a book series at a Barnes & Noble cafe, I noticed conversations flowing between laptops, mobile devices, tablets, and their owners. I imagined the magnitude of information that was being relayed back and forth from this single, infinitesimal public place. That thought flabbergasted me. Never have we had greater access to knowledge than we do today. Boundless information is just a few clicks away, and the line between a man and a machine is increasingly blurred. However, what are we sacrificing when we leash our brains to technology, relying on it to tell us where we should go for food, what driving route we should take, and what we should buy others for special occasions? As we barter our cognitive independence to devices in order to make our lives easier, what is happening to our society? We lose our creativity and emotion. I came to the firm conclusion that I will never forfeit those two elements that make a society what it is and give individuality to an individual. I did not want to become another victim of technology. With this in mind, I have pursued a musical path by learning how to play the piano and violin and resolved to be involved in not only UT Austin's University Orchestra, but also in Symphony Orchestras outside of college.
Playing instruments has impacted me in many ways and has become an important part of my life. It has allowed me to have a greater understanding and awareness to music, my emotions, and my surroundings. As I listen to music, I take the time to discern the style, the different instruments that are being played, and the tone. Sometimes, when I'm learning some Rachmaninoff, I would stray off that piece and begin improvising beats and forming melodies. Unleashing my creativity, I would make remixes of different pop songs. Unlike a smartphone or music player, which contain song files that cannot be edited, an instrument will shift to however the musician wants the music to be expressed. This creativity will allow me to excel in the different courses I will encounter throughout my college courses.
I have been taking piano and violin lessons for over 10 years now, and this has given me a strict sense of discipline. With every piece I am assigned, I have to learn and memorize it as well as know how to apply the theory and techniques I've learned. I play over twenty notes per second on a Haydn sonata. The ability to remember the finger placement and notes at every split second increases my aptitude for memorization. By strengthening my mental capacity, I can effortlessly memorize certain Java commands/compilers for future coding and formulas to use on my next Calculus exam. My academics are strong and steady because of these exact methods for playing instruments. I have responsibilities with the pieces I learn, as well as the responsibilities I have for school. With technology, however, if we store our schoolwork into a device, we have not accomplished anything except push a button. Although the devices help store notes and reminders for us, we should not solely rely on technology. By joining a symphony orchestra, I will be able to utilize and solidify my memorization through music and school.
Although there are ways to make technology work to our advantage, emotion and creativity through music is one factor that technology will never be able to replicate. Through music, I can continue to be a creative, expressive, and hard-working student in 2016.