Virtual Bands Rock YouTube

ANYTOWN - This is just incredible.  Below are four musicians covering a Beatles song.  They're tight as a drum, and they're not in the same room.  It's quite possible that they are not even in the same timezone.  Perhaps they have never met in person.  Why bother?  What day-job working stiff among us has the time to hang out with garage band mates when the enterprise is unlikely to support itself financially?

Anyway, the whole thing seems to have taken shape remotely and asynchronously.  And that's my point.  If rock bands can form and exist like this, I gotta wonder about the future of white collar work.  Not just outsourcing, crowd sourcing, or off-shoring.  I'm talking about real, collaborative, creative work.

I can hear you cynics already:  "Harry, covering a great song is not the same as writing and arranging a great song.  The latter requires a creative spark which can only be inspired when the musicians are in the same room."  Traditionally, yes.  But only because there was no alternative to the garage -- or the conference room, as in the case of white collar workers.

But all that's changing, and the time is coming when everyone's creative process will move naturally to the most effective medium, be it online or off.  And to be honest with you, I'd rather play in a virtual rock band with totally awesome players than in a "real" rock band with hacks or jerks.

$64 QUESTION:  Wouldn't you rather be a virtual member of a project Dream Team than do uninspired work limited by the people in your physical environment?  Please comment below.  I'm very curious.

Happy thought: Maybe someday I'll actually get to jam with Paul McCartney ...