I am 63 yrs old, started playing instruments a age 8, and worked professionally for over 30 years as a sideman; semi-retired now. My age has not changed my musical tastes, nor preferences for what I play. I am still open to anything, as long as it is someone physically playing the music and not a DJ or 'synthetic' music. I have never appreciated layered studio recordings, although I definitely appreciate the technology and those who know how to use it. My ears (and heart) need as much of a 'live' recorded sound as possible out of a studio product. If nothing else, the core "band" recording the foundation of any given track at the same time. It gives 'life' and 'air' to the final product.
My ears are sensitive to MP3 -- I despise MP3, regardless of its format. At the same time, I realized years ago that I am far more fastidious about audio quality than average listeners. Therefor very meticulous about fidelity and its original source.
Since most of my musical career involved acoustic music I prefer those recordings to be analog-to-digital, or at the very least, DAD. My sound systems have always been top-shelf. I love the 'air being pushed through speakers' and could not live without that phenomenon. Headphones do excite me when they are actually "headphones" (high end products) and NOT EARBUDS! As a former studio weasel who dabbled with engineering & producing peoples' live and studio recordings, I am offended by the Earbud Generation. They have absolutely no clue, and cannot possibly appreciate, what the original music sounds like. Even high-end earbuds do not do an artist's music justice. There is no substitute for the Ambient Sound of a room. Technology can be both beautiful and ugly at the same time.
As for "isolationism"... there seems to be many contributors to this issue; from the brain-washing effects of commercial radio, TV, and other mediums, to the dumbing-down of specific technologies and methodologies used to deliver music to the end-user. Human beings are easy to 'train' -- and that has never been more obvious than in the entire spectrum of the music industry.
An excellent example of "training humans" is when the Clear Channel Network bought literally every major radio market in the USA in the 90s, and proceeded to treat the radio listening audience like Pavlov's Dogs. And it worked. They basically spoon-fed listeners their repetitive hand-picked song lists until the listener's brains decided this is what they 'liked' and they proceeded to go out and purchase it in the form of hard-copy products and concert tickets.If musicians, on all levels, are becoming isolated, it is likely the musician his or her self to blame. I believe it is a choice.
For myself and, I believe, most artists... there is nothing more gratifying than getting it right with a group of players; be it vocal harmony or playing as a fine-tuned unit. Isolationism be damned!
I've never been a 'follower' in life, especially my musical life. That could also be a factor in my unbiased personal choices and having never fallen into Musical Isolationism?
Great topic. Thanks for the 'Think'.