Theater: the root of modern media technology

It’s no question that ideas, concepts, and trends change throughout the generations, and the changes can be drastic. And music and theater are certainly no exceptions. But there is so much variety in our tastes and means in which we create these kids of art that it is difficult to connect them. And what is that connecting factor in the first place?

Alumnus Mark Schubin has the answer.

Mark Schubin ‘71 helped to pioneer the Music Technology field at the Stevens academic scene, and so he is quite well-researched in the field. On Thursday, October 30th in Bissinger, he returned to his alma mater to discuss his answer to these pressing questions in the form of a talk titled “The Fandom of the Opera: How the Audience for a Centuries-Old Art Form Helped Create Modern Media Technology.” One of the many renowned talks hosted by the College of Arts and Letters, it is needless to say that Fandom of the Opera generated a hefty turnout. In celebration of National Opera Week, which occurred between October 24 and November 7, Schubin exuded great energy and passion on the subject that clearly paralleled his knowledge.

Opera is one of the oldest and well-known forms of public and scripted entertainment. “Up until this point, the point in history during which opera debuted, the timeline of art was fairly linear, and theatrical performances had clear connections to each other throughout the ages,” Schubin said. “But once opera came about, art forms of this kind exploded and branched out.”

And it does not stop there. Aside from the direct effects opera took on theater, it influenced the way opera halls were built, too. It also had significant leverage on how it was distributed to the masses. “As the lines between social classes became blurred, opera became less exclusive in terms of its audience. Around the time opera peaked in popularity, electricity was harnessed for our everyday use. And folks wanted to see, hear, and experience opera without the huge ticket prices. So scientists and engineers worked to provide this to the people, and as demand grew higher in terms of quantity and quality, electronics developed too. Believe it or not, the first wireless broadcast, the first commercial digital broadcasts, and even the first live subtitles began through opera!”

Such outlandish history could only be the product of years of research by such a well-traveled, multiple-Emmy-winning music technology professional like Mark Schubin. And it is no surprise that he is a product of The Innovation University – his connections to science and engineering progress could easily and understandably have been interpreted as words of encouragement. And the student body sees Stevens changing before our very eyes – who knows what other connections we will make?