On Constraints

 

One of my rules of thumb in music is that music should be as long as it needs to be--we don't need to pad it or cut it necessarily. But if there's a constraint set, then you have to stick to the constraint.

Back in 2000 I had the idea that the companies that create DVD films should make "singles" or what I called "Video 45s". Just buying the scenes you wanted would remind you of why you liked a film and you didn't have to buy the whole film (album).

Now I've revived the idea on my YouTube channel as Video 45s, where the video is exactly 45 seconds, which is counter to the idea that music needs to be as long as it needs to be. It's an absolute. I think constraints have to be absolutes in many ways and can't be fudged. If you start breaking the rule then you're breaking it all the time and then the constraint is no longer a constraint if you keep changing it to 60 or 65 seconds. Then it starts to move back to the rule of thumb that music needs to be as long as it needs to be. I'm of two minds about that: I think ideas take as long as they need to take but if you're using a constraint for the sake of using a constraint then stick to the constraint. The results aren't always optimal because it has the effect of cutting off the flow of ideas. But it's an interesting exercise in creativity. Other ideas using vinyl as a metaphor are "Video 16s" and "Video 78s".