The debut episode of Music Evolves explores how technology is transforming music creation, performance, and production, with insights from the NAMM Show on innovations like AI-assisted songwriting, digital modeling amps, and silent drum heads. Host Sean Martin dives into the balance between preserving classic sounds and pushing creative boundaries, setting the stage for a series that uncovers the future of music.
Guest: Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society Podcast & Audio Signals Podcast | On ITSPmagazine: https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/marco-ciappelli
Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast & Music Evolves Podcast | On ITSPmagazine: https://www.itspmagazine.com/sean-martin
The first episode of Music Evolves with host Sean Martin sets the tone for an exciting exploration of the intersection of music and technology. Kicking things off with a discussion of the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show, this episode covers how musicians, producers, and innovators are shaping the future of sound.
Music Meets Technology
From the resurgence of classic analog instruments to the latest AI-assisted music creation tools, technology continues to redefine how music is made, performed, and shared. Sean shares his firsthand experience at NAMM, where major brands and independent creators showcased groundbreaking advancements, including digital amplifiers that recreate vintage sounds, AI-driven music production tools, and innovations designed to break creative barriers.
One standout topic is how technology is making music creation more accessible. Companies are introducing tools that allow artists to experiment with sounds in ways that were once impossible without expensive studio setups. Instruments with built-in effects, digital modeling amps that maintain rich analog tones at lower volumes, and silent drum heads that allow musicians to practice in small apartments—all of these are making professional-quality music creation more attainable.
The Role of AI in Music
A key discussion point in this episode is the growing influence of artificial intelligence. AI-generated music isn’t just an experiment—it’s already shaping songwriting, production, and even performance. Some musicians use AI to refine lyrics, generate melodies, or experiment with new sonic textures. But with this innovation comes debate. Can AI-generated music carry the same emotional depth as human-created work? And how does this impact authenticity in songwriting and performance?
NAMM also brought attention to ethical concerns surrounding AI, with Roland and Universal Music Group unveiling an initiative to address fair use, artist rights, and responsible AI implementation in music. As AI continues to evolve, these discussions will be critical in determining its role in the industry.
Preserving the Classics While Pushing Boundaries
Despite all the technological advancements, there remains a strong nostalgia for classic sounds. This balance between innovation and tradition was evident at NAMM, where artists and engineers worked to preserve vintage tones while enhancing their usability for modern musicians. Companies are now blending analog warmth with digital precision, allowing musicians to replicate legendary sounds without the constraints of older hardware.
Sean also touches on the impact of these advancements on performance. Portable gear with built-in looping and effects is allowing musicians to push creative limits, while innovations in live sound engineering are making it possible to replicate studio-quality mixes on stage.
More to Come on Music Evolves
This episode sets the stage for a series that will dive deep into how technology is changing the way music is created, performed, and consumed. Future episodes will explore everything from sound engineering and music education to AI composition and new performance technologies.
For those passionate about music and its ever-expanding possibilities, Music Evolves offers a fresh perspective on how creativity and technology intersect. Be sure to listen to the full episode to hear firsthand insights from NAMM and stay tuned for upcoming discussions with musicians, engineers, and industry leaders shaping the future of sound.
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More The 2025 NAMM Show Coverage: https://itspmagazine.com/the-2025-namm-show-namm-music-conference-music-technology-event-coverage-anaheim-california
Music Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | The 2025 NAMM Show: Honoring Tradition, Pioneering the Future: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/2025-namm-show-honoring-tradition-pioneering-future-sean-martin-6jcge/
Please note that this transcript was created using AI technology and may contain inaccuracies or deviations from the original audio file. The transcript is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the original recording, as errors may exist. At this time, we provide it “as it is,” and we hope it can be helpful for our audience.
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Sean Martin: [00:00:00] Marco.
Marco Ciappelli: Hey,
Sean Martin: what are you listening to? I'm listening to all kinds of cool, cool stuff on these cans. I can tell
Marco Ciappelli: I have the little one. This is not how I usually listen to my music, but no for podcast.
Sean Martin: You have the nice high, uh, high fidelity stuff.
Marco Ciappelli: I have a few. I think, uh, like I always say, if you need to do a gift to buy a gift for me, it's better make noise.
Sean Martin: That's right. Make some kind of sounds for you. Uh, yeah, you and I both. Love sound and love music and, uh, also love storytelling. I'm excited, man. The. I don't know, you, you've been, you've been across the pond overseas. I don't know if you can tell the excitement that I have for this. I mean, it all started with Nam, but obviously this is the first episode of Music Evolves.
Marco Ciappelli: Well, I don't know if you can tell how jealous I was that you went to Nam, [00:01:00] obviously. You know, here in, uh, in the L. A. area in Anaheim and, uh, and I was on the other side in Europe and, uh, yeah, 30 days over there. I miss a few things, but I experienced some cool stuff. And for me, the year begins kind of like today on February 1st when we're recording this and I'm excited.
This is a new beginning. of something special that I see a background with some sound waves, I don't know, audio signals.
Sean Martin: Well, you know, it's, we've been talking a while for, for, uh, expanding some of the things that I talk about, not just cybersecurity. And I have a huge passion for music. Had it for, well, since I was a kid, I've played Played all kinds of instruments from, uh, trumpets to drums, to keyboards.
And I've lately picked up some synthesizers and synth keyboards and, uh, stylophone stuff. And I've been having fun on guitar, [00:02:00] electric.
Marco Ciappelli: I was going to say, don't forget the guitar. So
Sean Martin: I don't know if it's one of the most important, but certainly one of the most recent that really sparked, uh, sparked the creativity and the reconnection to, uh, to music and the love that I have for it.
And. So not just listening, but making, creating music, and then there's always producing and sharing and performing and all that kind of stuff. I don't know, maybe someday I'll do an open mic night. We'll see.
Marco Ciappelli: Oh, see,
Sean Martin: you and I, you and I are gonna get together and, and jam at some point.
Marco Ciappelli: Uh, not, not on camera.
At least not yet. Not yet. Maybe.
Sean Martin: Though I did find there's some tech, I know we, you found some technology to, uh, where we can play together remotely if we're not in the same place. And then when I was at NAMM, I saw some technology where you could do that in streaming as well, which is pretty cool. So, uh, Lootfish, I think was the name of that, that technology.
So, lots of stuff we can, we can play with. That's kind of the point of this show, is, uh, it, it, To connect with how [00:03:00] we create and bring music to life and, you know, using technology to do that, to so kind of break down and blow up the barriers of what's possible with creating music and sharing it and then also consuming and enjoying it.
So there's a lot of tech in, in music and this show Music Evolves, which is the first episode is going to be all about. uncovering the technologies, how we're pushing the limits, uh, how those technologies are used to enable creators, to give creators new, newfound creativity, perhaps even, and then making it possible to reach more people in new ways.
So, but endless, uh, endless topics and conversations to have here for sure.
Marco Ciappelli: Well, you know, if you, if you think back at the various podcasts that we had when we had recurring guest, I'm thinking, you know, a few actually, in my mind,
Sean Martin: unusual gatherings was one
Marco Ciappelli: [00:04:00] unusual gathering was many years ago. And then, and then the other one, but was actually under redefining society, looking at the present past future of technology.
And it was, you know, With older folks, like the two of us, like, no, maybe on the old, old end, but the one that experienced analog technology and digital technology. And we jumped on that train.
Sean Martin: We talked about, uh, we'll be talking about, uh, all the other Walkmans and the iPad.
Marco Ciappelli: Yeah, exactly. That's where I was going.
So I hope you get the chance to look at the technology of music, not just what is now and what it can be in the future, but also what is allowed. In the past and and how did they change the music and I'm going to switch here. I'm going to take over and be the host of your mind for a little bit because I will share this on audio signals podcast as well because I want to I want people to know that you have a new show and yeah, that's I guess that's my that's my [00:05:00] question that to start with is you're going to find people that are going to be against the technology coming into music.
Maybe, I don't know, I'm thinking the autotuner or certain things that kind of make me gag a little bit, um, as a music lover, but there are other things that may be perceived at the beginning as something that, uh, is going to kill the music, the creativity, the manuality and the artistry of it. But then if you look at from a different perspective, And, you know, we love the word perspective and, um, there is, there is both and you mentioned that there is a creativity and that can be given to everyone because they have access to more things to have fun with.
And uh, and there's going to be the people that are going to use it as a shortcut. So are you ready to hear both sides of the record?
Sean Martin: More than just ready. That's kind [00:06:00] of the point of, uh, what we're gonna be looking at, because I, I mean, as I start to create more myself, I really try to focus on feeling it first and then using the technology to, to make it happen.
And I know I've heard stories from others, uh, even in recent weeks where the technology creates the feeling and then they use, they use that to, to drive.
Marco Ciappelli: Go deeper in that. Tell me more about it.
Sean Martin: So take an idea for a song and use AI to begin to shape it. So you, one has maybe a message they want to convey.
They know the style country, let's say country music style. And so they, they use AI, ChatGPT specifically to [00:07:00] create. Help, help refine the lyrics. Maybe they have some lyrics, but help refine the lyrics, help create or identify some sounds that can be used to create the musical part of it. And then so that in that way, it's, it's all about pulling.
Well, using AI to pull together elements and then taking that to, to the next level with production. Then who knows, I didn't have the discussion around what, what AI is in production or what other tools. And then for me, I sit down and I have a feeling of, Do I, do I feel energetic? Do I feel melodic? Do I feel melodramatic?
Do I feel, what's my feeling? And how can I convey that through the tools? Is that a guitar? Is that a synthesizer? Is that a piano? Is that a heavy drum beat? Is that a And so I start with the feeling and then find the, [00:08:00] find the musical elements to support that feeling and tell that story. For the few songs that I've written lyrics for, I purposely avoid any connection to chat GPT for those.
Those really come from here for me. So, I don't know. I'm sure there are other people who have a bunch of different ways of looking at this. And that's kind of the whole point for me. I think what struck me and pushed me over the edge to actually kick this off was going to NAMM.
Marco Ciappelli: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I want to, I want to go to,
Sean Martin: we'll get there.
But I think the point that I want to make for that connected to this, this part of the conversation is that there is a lot of nostalgia. So a lot of, a lot of things rooted into you. If you look around the whole event, you have pictures of Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton and different [00:09:00] drummers and keyboardists created their own Yeah.
Yeah. styles and their own sounds using the technologies they had, tweaking the technology that Herbie Hancock, we had a conversation with Shaggy about Herbie Hancock, right? Where he basically ripped apart and reconstructed the synthesizer to make, make new sounds. Um, and then those become the standard or the, the thing that people want to recreate or the sound of the sound of a, an amp, right?
So the, the, I guess my point is even with the potential to create new stuff, there's still a deep Passion and desire to harken back to yesterday, yesteryear, and pull in some of those sounds and styles and things like that. So, and I mean, we see the music cycling around too, right? So styles from the 60s and 70s are kind of new again, that kind of thing.
Marco Ciappelli: Well, not only that, [00:10:00] but there is obviously that natural circle with generation. This is innovative. The Walkman now, it's now it's old. Yeah. But some people are going back to that and they are learning what you can do with a cassette or you can do with a, the vinyl, I mean we, we know the vinyls are back in, I, I was in Europe and I was in Northern Europe, but I don't even know how many record store I've seen.
And not only a vintage or secondhand, but actually, you know, we know a lot of artists are reprinting. Yeah. They're not as cheap as they used to be when I was. 13 years old, you know, it's, it's really cool. So what I'm saying is, sometimes we forget where we come from and what was innovative became classic.
And then you don't want to change that, but that's just the way it is. And where I'm going with this is the title that you choose for your podcast. You see what I did there? Because what's, what's the [00:11:00] title?
Sean Martin: The title is Music Evolves and, uh,
Marco Ciappelli: Bingo! I mean.
Sean Martin: You, of course, had a hand in helping to, uh, to shape and find that, uh, find that as a title and a name.
And I think it, if you look at the imagery as well, um, created by AI. Let's be honest there. But, uh, It has a lot of different musical elements.
Marco Ciappelli: You, you wanna take ourself out for the people watching the video here? And
Sean Martin: we, we could do that. Uh, did that for a second. All right. And
Marco Ciappelli: then we, we can describe it to the people listening so you disappear.
Uh, let's see. We'll
Sean Martin: stop the cam. You stop your camera. No, that's not gonna work. I'll take us out. So, so quick,
Marco Ciappelli: quick look. , that was a quick, now we're back.
Sean Martin: We can't be out and talk at the same time, so
Marco Ciappelli: No, no, that's fine. But maybe somebody wa saw that and, and, and now we can describe it. So there is a circle. Where there are different tools and instruments, speakers and gramophones and so you're showing it as [00:12:00] a, as a way to kind of, there you go.
Yeah, there is a cassette, there is a radio, there is a, uh, the record player, there is a video and I mean the, the vinyl. And, uh, yeah, it gives this idea that things come around but never disappear. And then you put an infinite sign in the middle. Infinitely.
Sean Martin: Exactly.
Marco Ciappelli: I mean, I guess you thought about that for a second.
Sean Martin: I did think about it because they, yeah, it all circles back around on itself and feeds off each other. Brings back nostalgia into the future and all the way around. So anyway, that's, that's the idea. And it's going to be rooted in technology as well. So there's a whole, whole thing on creating new instruments.
I'm going to get into, there's a whole thing on redefining. I like that word too, redefining how instruments are used. And yeah, one of the topics we'll [00:13:00] get into, I'm sure is changing the sounds of things. Um, So running, running traditional musical sounds through other devices to, to create new sounds. And so I, I mean, I like, I like synthesizer stuff because I can do that because you can, you can manipulate and control and create all kinds of new.
Marco Ciappelli: Right. It gives you the freedom to create different sounds that normally you can't do with, with regular instrument, although you can get a gazillion of pedals for a guitar or a bass whatever you want. And. And now we were talking about the fact that when you went and now you so that you can have that loaded into either the amp or the guitar and have All the sounds in the world that you, that you want.
So it gives a little bit more freedom to, to that. But tell me about that. Cause I know you, we've talked again, but you having another show, [00:14:00] like I have audio signal where I talk about storytelling and, and I'm like, you know, you have passion for photography. You have passion for art, street art, a lot of things and music, of course.
And then, yeah, you said, Hey, I'm on my, I'm going to go to, uh, now I'm tomorrow. Um, I was like, yeah, damn it. I can't go. Uh, I'll do it next year for sure. And then I think the second day you send me a message and you said, Hmm, I think I have an idea for, for the new shoes. What did you see there? In your head there to say, you know what?
This is it. I mean, you, you have knowledge of a lot of things and passion for a lot of things. It's not just cyber security, even if you're known for that. But what was the break? It would wreak a moment that said, Yeah, this is it.
Sean Martin: Well, I think the just the lots of things that I guess the first is [00:15:00] obviously we cover a lot of it.
Yeah. Technology events in general, and that's, and cybersecurity more specifically, which has a very distinct way about it. So, um, who, who attends, what the objectives are. It's very, the stuff we do is very business to business. Of course, we connect it to society. We connect the human element to that. Um. But it's a certain feeling.
And when I went to NAM, and I'm not saying it's a bad feeling, it's, I enjoy it very, very much, but the, the attendees and the energy and the fact that it's not B2B, it's, it's a very much a, an artist. An artist and consumer and creator, uh, environment. And I, I feel very, I'm also connected to cyber security.
I've seen that I'm very connected to the, to the music. So you [00:16:00] mentioned photography and street art and art in general. I love those things, but I don't necessarily have a passion for digging deep into all the things, photography and all the things, creating art. In terms of process and techniques and things like that, I love creating music and I love using technology to help me do that.
And therefore, that was the, that was the aha moment for me. The place is just full of tech. I don't know, 4500. Vendors or something like that. I can't remember how many it was, but, um, it's in the, it's in the article that I wrote that
Marco Ciappelli: tell me something is I remember I was in Italy actually talking to my dad and I say, you know, this is where Sean is.
And I told him about this idea of the guitar that where you download all the sounds that you want, and he's very conservative when it comes to everything. I mean, he's 87. So [00:17:00] we, we, we, we, you know, we have deep conversation, Italian style about a lot of things. And, and, and he said to me, like, you know, you talk about technology and society all the time, is that good or bad?
And I said, both. Right. I mean, in a way, it's democratizing, like I said at the beginning, the access to it. On the other hand, it's, uh, it may help to create very mediocre. Stuff like because the difference is tell I to write a story or write a piece of music. It's yeah, it can give you a good draft and then you bring it to the next level or it depends on the prompt that you give it.
And then and this is for any kind of storytelling that you want to do. But
Sean Martin: just on that point, because a lot of people may not realize that the AI created stuff is trained and based on something that already exists.
Marco Ciappelli: Yes.
Sean Martin: It might create a new variation of it, but it's. It's not, [00:18:00] not too dissimilar from an artist hearing three or four bands, maybe one from the sixties, one from the nineties and one they heard yesterday and, and meshing and mashing those sounds together, right?
It's not, not any different from the human perspective, hearing different things, but
Marco Ciappelli: I've lost my voice. Saying that thing about storytelling, where he's all trained on. I mean, AI is way more human than what we think it is because it's just regurgitating that. But also as a human herself, we are who we are because of if you read a lot of.
Sci fi because you like it. You're probably going to end up writing about something sci fi as a writer and as a musician, obviously, if you're into country or rock or whatever it is, you may innovate on that, but you're always standing on the shoulder of other giants, on my opinion, um, classical music. So what I was asking you is like when you go through now, there is a lot of technology [00:19:00] But I'm assuming that there is still the flavor for an handcrafted violin and a stand up bass, something where you just, or a trumpet, like, I don't know how technology is going to evolve that.
So what I'm saying is not erasing what we have. It's announcing certain things and maybe even giving more value to those things. As you always say, there's more value in what is not digital and technological, maybe. So did you get
that
idea too?
Sean Martin: So many examples. I mean, uh, so I'll, I'll for, well, I'll for, let's start with the amplifiers.
Cause I think, and then I'll touch on the guitar. It's not just about creating new sounds necessarily. So, for example, I believe it was Marshall that, that introduced a new amplifier, and that a couple of different series of lines, or different lines of amplifiers. But [00:20:00] one of them, in particular, was trying to recapture the 50s, 59s sound of their Original amplifier.
So that's all digitized sound through the new amp. So it's kind of bringing the old sound into the new, which is cool. Um, but the other thing that they did was creating a loud sound without turning up the volume. So think about that for a second, where you get the feeling of. It's just blasting your eardrums to bleed, but it's not actually blasting your eardrums to bleed, right?
So a different way of leveraging or creating a new, something new that solves perhaps a different problem. So it gives you the feeling without physically. Impacting the sound and another one. I'll touch on the drums quickly here is somebody living in an apartment in New York. Let's say it wants to [00:21:00] practice drums.
When can you do that now? So you have been electric drums for a long time. But what I believe is Roland came out with DW Roland. Part of the same, uh, they created drum heads and drum symbols that are digital. But also are silent. So drum, electric drums of yesteryear, you could still hear the thump, thump, thump, bing, thump, thump, tap, you know, that kind of thing.
So even in an apartment, you might make noise on the electric drum. The new drums they came out with. Have a mesh head and a unique symbol style technology that keeps those things silent as well. So there's a, it was pretty cool. A guy did a demonstration there, right? He, you could hear him and then they shut the sound of the actual playing off and you could hear him hitting, but not hearing him hitting.
It was pretty cool. [00:22:00] Other technology so that tons and tons of
Marco Ciappelli: well, I'm gonna make a note on the right. Let me make a note on the amp because I saw a video, you know, I fuck around with bass. Okay, enough to have fun. And I saw a video. Let me Kilmster, the bass and lead singer of Motörhead, and it's an old piece from the 80s.
And he said, this is how a bass player sound, and he plays without distortion or anything. And it's just, you know, the typical bass riff, and he's like, this is how my song is. And you just go on the Marshall and he just turned everything on and a couple of pedal and it become. This huge thing, but it was based on how loud, honestly, you know, how, I don't know, uh, heavy hits the chord, the string.
And, and, and so it make me think about being able to do that. [00:23:00] Noise music without having to distort it because you're not going to be able to do that everywhere unless you're on a big, you know, a big stage and some people may say, well, screw that. I mean, that's how you should do it. Some other people's like, well, why do I need to be limited on and not be able to play like that in my bedroom?
So why not? Right.
Sean Martin: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's in. Yeah. I mean, there's a whole. The whole thing about portability and, and in the guitar that you mentioned, uh, where it has embedded a looper and embedded effects. And so it, it. Basically makes it portable and easier. So you don't have a looper pedal. You don't have an effects or one or more effects pedals and a board for all that crap and power for all that on the guitar makes it easier to perform.
Maybe you don't use that. Maybe you do, but maybe you don't use that to create and [00:24:00] produce the record. Or the music or whatever performing. I mean, it's a huge thing for portability
Marco Ciappelli: or experimenting and get creative.
Sean Martin: Yeah. Yeah. One of my favorite clips was now there's so much stuff. Good there. But my favorite clips and it's.
It's rooted in the fact that my dad plays, my dad plays bass and my dad plays harmonica and he's, he's actually been experimenting running his harmonica through a pedal. So it's a, it's a, uh, I can't remember what kind of, it's like a, I think it's a mute, uh, melody pedal. Can't remember what it, uh, like a, like a wave pedal motion, a wave pedal, I think is what it is, but anyway, so there's a, there's a.
Harmonica performer that had a whole pad, a whole, uh, pad of pedals and looping and he was changing the sound and yes, I do two harmonicas and I mean, just, and I sat there and [00:25:00] the whole point of this for me is because I feel what I'm creating, but I also feel when I'm listening and watching that. That guy plays harmonicas with those pedals.
It really, really caught me. It's on my Instagram, so people can have a listen to that.
Marco Ciappelli: Well, let's talk about that. Let's talk in the last few minutes. Otherwise, I know we're going to talk for an hour. But, um, about So your intention already came out throughout this conversation for the show, but you already wrote a newsletter that should be published by now.
And it's kind of like your recap on what you've seen there, your inspiration for what the show is going to be. So give me a summary of that and with that, we can invite people to actually go read it, subscribe. Some of the article. Yeah. Yeah.
Sean Martin: Yeah. So I look at, uh, it's basically a recap of the few days that I was there.
So there was a media day with a lot of product [00:26:00] launches. I spent a lot of time on the show floor. There was some one on one, uh, conversations with, uh, one with Peter Frampton, one with John Batiste. And, uh, so I've captured those and kind of highlighted some of the, some of the interesting points that they each made.
Um, I caught a lot of, I like photography, so I took a lot of photos and I thought, well, how am I going to share these? So I, I was initially going to put together a gallery, but I decided to create a video of all the photos. So it has celebrities like Stevie Wonder I saw and, uh, others. And then, uh, a lot of shots of, of new gear, tons of pedals, hundreds and hundreds of pedals, which, uh, I, I covered that topic in there.
Do we need that many pedals and If the effects are going to be embedded in the guitars and the amps, do we, do we need that many pedals as well? Are they going to, are they going to see their demise or where they stick around because people use them for harmonicas [00:27:00] and stuff. So I kind of look at that kind of thing.
Um, and I touch a little bit on the AI thing actually Roland and universal music group. Created a pact about what, what the ethical and moral use of AI is in music. And so I'm hoping to interview those, those folks on the show. And I think the other, the other thing that I'll highlight from that is one of the videos, uh, actually Kesher, some performances in the separate video, but on the, on the photo gallery video, actually, uh, created a song kind of.
That's not looping. I created a song. That's the base of, of that photo collage video. So, so I got to, uh, leverage my creative, uh, you
Marco Ciappelli: didn't get boring. These days
Sean Martin: I did not know it was a very, very busy day, not much sleep in the last couple of weeks, but, uh, I think it shows the passion I have and, uh, I hope, hope that's coming [00:28:00] through.
I hope it's a show that people enjoy and people will hopefully contribute to as well. I think there's endless technologies and I've already done some research to identify some of the things I want to talk about, but if people have something they want to share. What the technology that's available, how they're using the technology, whether it's good or bad to use the technology, how it unlocks creativity, how it hinders creativity, how it, uh, I mean, a lot of stuff we talked about is on the creative element.
I talked a little bit about performing in the, in the looping, but there's production and, and big performances and, and recording and, and I mean, there's a whole section in, in NAMM around, uh, DJs, right. And lighting and. Sound systems and you name it headphones and mics and all kinds of stuff that I couldn't get to all I focused primarily on on the instruments and the creation But those are all areas that I hope to to touch on in [00:29:00] this show
Marco Ciappelli: So I know you're connected with a bunch of people there on the floor and somebody is going to be on the show Um, I know that you're listen, listing a lot of topics that you want to cover, so some people may read the newsletter and say, you know, you go with creativity and authenticity, ownership and copyright, so it could be even like a legal conversation here and there, ethics and fair use, industry impact, and I can think, right?
A lot of different kind of people can come to, to the show from a sound engineer to a stage manager, because I mean, there is, there is that technology to how do you move an entire show, like an entire Metallica show from one town to another in, you know, a few days compared to
Sean Martin: fire rate. I don't know if he caught that.
I think you were in Italy at the time, but fire aid for the LA fires.
Marco Ciappelli: Oh, yeah, you know, you mentioned that to me, no, and it was too short. And yeah, I heard of it actually yesterday.
Sean Martin: So [00:30:00] there were, there were three, a band would perform three songs, and then they'd switch. Bang, bang, bang, three songs, switch three songs.
So even that was a feat in and of itself. Right. Yeah. Yeah. So there's, there's that. I think, yeah, to your point, I'm going to be, I'm going to talk to researchers. I'm going to be talking to music students. I talked to, uh, met a guy, uh, Nam, who is all about enabling and supporting music, music educators. So that there's a, uh, a defined level of what it means to educate students and giving them the resources and giving them the knowledge and giving them the tools and, and the support and the funding and all that stuff to actually do that.
Cause I mean, we need to learn as well. I mean, I like to tinker, but I'm, I have years and years and years of learning through school and whatnot too. Um, so I think there's a nice, nice balance there. Obviously people can [00:31:00] create without. Going to school, but having courses and education, I think is important as well to look back back in the past, right?
Why why why did we end up where we are today music?
Marco Ciappelli: Oh why we end up in a certain way and and other Country married end up in a different way than what is important. I feel music. It's one of the most important that we have part of education, part of giving opportunities. I'm thinking as you go through all of this, I'm like, Hmm, this could be for redefining technology and society.
Why not? Right. I mean, given, um, given the important that it has to create the future of art and culture and all of that, um, on that note, I was in Helsinki. You know that the most amazing library in the world.
Sean Martin: I know you said it.
Marco Ciappelli: Yeah, I mean, I spent more time there than walking around Helsinki also [00:32:00] because it was cold, but also because it was amazing.
I mean, their, their entire concept is education. So you think a library and like a lot of books and maybe DVDs and maybe, um, uh, games and stuff, yet all of that. But then I, I saw a wall of guitars and it was Gibson and Fenders. It wasn't like cheap stuff. And it said, if you need it, just rent it for free as a member of the library.
And then behind that there is studios where there is one already with a drum set up. You can record, you can practice, you can do what you want. And as a member of the library, which is free, you get to use that. And I'm thinking like, Oh, you know, the value of that. Right. So again, let's reconnect with, you know, the importance in society for these.
And then, I mean, look, Sean, point is, ITSP magazine is born, was [00:33:00] born at the intersection of technology, cyber security and society. Well, more cyber security and society and then technology come in and technology comes in. And we're gravitating along around all of this and we also experience how everything we do nowadays is technology and society and cyber security because you can talk about privacy and copyright.
I mean, it's easier to steal. I need I don't want to go there because you can talk forever. But is it? It's going to be easier to steal somebody's production, um, and publish it before the release or like it's happened to me.
Sean Martin: Can you copyright something that's written by AI? I don't know.
Marco Ciappelli: Exactly. There is another conversation you could have.
Um, so much, so much, so much goodies to talk about.
Sean Martin: Yeah. So I would encourage everybody to all in the show notes, I'll include a link to the article as well. Um, and [00:34:00] see if there are any, any other points I wanted to pull from there. Um, and ethics. Yeah. I think you listed a bunch of the stuff for there. So I think.
Ultimately, it's around how we, how can we use technology to create more music, use technology to perform more music, use technology to consume more music. And why? Because music is good. It's good for the soul. At least for me. Um, and I sure, clearly a lot of people, hundreds of thousands of people, I don't know how many, tens of thousands of people.
Yeah, it was like 40, I don't know. Let me see how, let me get to the right number. Uh, 65, 000 people. There we go. It was right in the ballpark. 65, 000 people there at NAMM to
make music,
to make music and
share
[00:35:00] music.
Marco Ciappelli: So a lot of those were. Coming from all over the U. S., mostly L. A., which is definitely a mecca for music, but
Sean Martin: I think it's more than 10, 000 people came in from outside of this, outside of the States.
That's pretty good. That's not a small number either.
Marco Ciappelli: Yeah. Especially given the situation in L. A. was. At the time too. So need to consider that as well. Well, Sean, I'm excited for the show. I'm excited to sometimes please invite me to some conversations. I'll be happy to join and some may bleed into other show that we have together as well.
But I, I'm excited. I'm all about music. Not that good at doing it, but definitely good to listen to it and talk about it. And, uh, yeah, I honestly think you did the right choice and it kind of motivates me to, you know, to even have more conversations about, about music. So,
Sean Martin: yeah, absolutely. Well, the timing is right.
Marco Ciappelli: Everybody listening, what should I do? Do you have the [00:36:00] show up already or are you waiting for me?
Sean Martin: I'm waiting for that one last bit, the actual show itself. Well, I need all the surrounding stuff. I've been working my tail off to get it all ready, but it's, uh, obviously by the time people listen and watch this, you did your part.
Yeah, exactly. Otherwise they're not listening to it.
Marco Ciappelli: And they can subscribe. And if they're listening to this, because I will publish this on audio signals as well. My, my podcast about stories and storytelling, uh, they can. Look at the notes and subscribe to your show, your new show and why not to all the other shows that that we have?
Um, the intention is having more of this conversation either with or without music with or without cyber security and just catch up and share what we are excited about throughout. You know the year again. It's gonna be a busy year, Sean. It's gonna be a busy year. We're gonna be traveling as well.
Sean Martin: [00:37:00] Yeah.
And then on that point, uh, this, this was kind of the, the, the catalyst was driven by an on location, right? So covering them. I've already seen a few more events. There's one in June following, uh, infosecurity Europe in London. So, uh, I suspect I'll be attending that and covering that, uh, I suspect I will be there too.
Yes, exactly. So, uh, yeah, more on location as well, uh, connected to music and technology as part of the show, but, uh, I'm super excited. I'm passionate. I love this and, uh, can't wait to, to dig in. I'm glad you and I were on this first one together to kick it off. We'll both be at NAMM next year. Covering it as well, and you can look at it from a societal perspective and whatever else, uh, intrigues you and your audience.
Um, one thing I'll note is that, uh, I take this [00:38:00] from you, because I think, and if you're, timing is everything, I guess is the point of this. Why didn't I start this years ago? Um, wasn't time, wasn't time. And if you remember, uh, it was a rough patch and you said, here, take my guitar and go play it and you'll relax.
And, and I did, I took it. And I tried to play it. And I was like, I wasn't in the frame of mind to learn guitar. And then it was a few months later, I picked up a different guitar and I bought one. And. That was the moment I was ready. And every day, pretty much every day I pick up the car, the guitar for at least 15 minutes, which I remember you saying almost every day, you, you do the same, you pick it up and you play wherever the keyboard or whatever it is.
People don't like it when I play my drums.
In New York, when I'm in New York, I have to go to the studio in Midtown, which is fun.
Marco Ciappelli: Let's be [00:39:00] honest, there are some instruments that do need. You can't really put a headset into the
drum. Or a trumpet. I don't
know, can you play the trumpet in a headset? Probably not.
Sean Martin: I did see an electronic trumpet that was remote.
You did? Yeah, I think it has. I didn't look at it too deeply, but I think it had a speaker inside and it was connected in one of these remote. Somebody played remote and then it came out on the
Marco Ciappelli: holy shit. Okay. That's another frontiers that like, Oh, I didn't see that coming. You know, why not? I was just got the pitch for a story about a company at CS.
That's another event that we cover where yeah. They, uh, they sync smells to videos and music and, uh, I don't know. I wasn't at CES. I was, we were supposed to go with it and go next year. There is that too. [00:40:00] Um, you know, sometimes you try, we'll see how the audience. React. Maybe a hit. Maybe you don't want to smell the TV.
Sean Martin: Well, you can, you'll get an insight to my crazy brain because the first thing that you said when you connect the smell to something was the debut of the fart pedal. Oh, there's a whole booth dedicated to the fart pedal.
Marco Ciappelli: Oh, really? Yeah. So there you go. I don't know something that I'm not looking forward to, but maybe I'm wrong.
Sean Martin: It was cute. Useful.
Marco Ciappelli: Well, we're talking about it. So you just, you just promoted it and we're not paid by them. We're not, we're not sponsored by
Sean Martin: them. I'm not, probably not giving them the best, uh, promotion.
Marco Ciappelli: Well, maybe it's enough to make people curious and they're going to be Googling that.
Sean Martin: If you need that sound and you want it connected to your guitar harmonica, whatever else you're pumping through there.
Marco Ciappelli: Go for it. Do what you want. I'm not going to judge. And
Sean Martin: let it, let it rip through the Marshall. [00:41:00]
Marco Ciappelli: Hey, maybe if you distort it enough, it's going to sound actually pretty cool.
Sean Martin: Yes.
Marco Ciappelli: All right, Sean. And with that note. With that
Sean Martin: note, I'm going to say two things. I'm going to, I'm going to. Yeah, go for it. Take this moment.
Sure, sure. I'm just, I'm just making fun. I'm going to take this moment to, I don't know if he listens to this stuff or not, but I'm going to, I'm going to thank my father.
Marco Ciappelli: Yeah.
Sean Martin: He, we're a musical family anyway, but he gave me the opportunity to play. Uh, early days in school. He didn't, he wasn't a frame alcohol, actually worked for Pearl Drums and had an amazing Pearl Drum set.
That I got to use when I was a kid. Uh, pretty special. My cousin has that set still, but I guess my point is thank you dad for giving me the opportunity to feel creative and have music as an outlet to, uh, to share that creativity. And, uh, uh, so that's thanks to him. And then the thing I want to share with the audience in closing, and I'll probably do this in every show if I remember to [00:42:00] do it, but keep creating, keep listening and let the music.
Move you. That's that's my mantra. So hopefully, hopefully I connect the dots and I connect with folks here. And thank you, Marco, for continuing to inspire me and supporting me and, uh, and this new show.
Marco Ciappelli: I am excited. I really am. It may actually be a show that I listen to.
Sean Martin: There you go.
Marco Ciappelli: Okay. I mean, not that I don't listen to the other stuff that you do, but you know, this, this one, it's, uh, it's that thing that doesn't sound like, it doesn't sound like work because you know, when we go to conference, we get super busy in, in sharing, you know, stories that sometimes they're kind of heavy and these are just driven by passion.
Then if we find sponsors for this, it's kind of like, you know, the, the storytelling one good. Otherwise I just. I just love to talk about it. So I know you feel the same and I am [00:43:00] super. Excited to be there and support it in every every way I can so subscribe listen. Yes, it's really good
Sean Martin: And play play music listen to music All right, everybody.
Thanks for uh joining me for this very first episode of music evolves here on itsp magazine I'm, sean martin. You can find me at seanmartin. com And, uh, also on ITSP magazine where you'll find all the episodes and links to the videos and links to subscribe and all that good stuff. So stay tuned and, uh, we'll see you on the next one.
Where's the camera? There we go. Ha
ha ha.