Ikutaro Kakehashi and Dave Smith receive Technical GRAMMY Award from the Recording Academy®
In 1983, Ikutaro Kakehashi, founder of Roland Corporation, and Dave Smith, president of Sequential Circuits, unveiled MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). The launch of MIDI motivated the cooperation of an entire industry and helped move music technology into a new era. In a nearly unprecedented collaboration between competing manufacturers, what would soon prove an inescapable new technology was born when two competing manufacturers’ electronic keyboards were connected, enabling them to “talk” to one another using a new communication standard. The announcement ultimately revolutionized the music world. Today, MIDI is ubiquitous in the musical equipment industry, and is the de facto standard feature on virtually every electronic music product made by every manufacturer.
A special invitation-only ceremony was held during GRAMMY Week on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013.
About the Technical GRAMMY Award Recipients:
In 1983, Ikutaro Kakehashi, founder of Roland Corporation, and Dave Smith, president of Sequential Circuits, unveiled MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of MIDI, a standard that motivated the cooperation of an entire industry and helped move music technology into a new era. In a nearly unprecedented collaboration between competing manufacturers, what would soon prove an inescapable new technology was born when two competing manufacturers’ electronic keyboards were connected, enabling them to “talk” to one another using a new communication standard. The announcement ultimately revolutionized the music world. Today, MIDI is ubiquitous in the musical equipment industry, and is the de facto standard feature on virtually every electronic music product made by every manufacturer.by The Recording Academy® (www.grammy.com)
Technical GRAMMY Award: Ikutaro Kakehashi And Dave Smith | GRAMMY.com
One day I was going past a music store in Camden Town and there was a crowd inside so I went in and there was a kind of hush whilst someone was explaining that this Sequential Circuits Prophet 600 had MIDI! Once I grasped what they were talking about I felt quite faint, my head spinning with the possibilities. I’ve never been the same since and neither has the rest of the world.
by Dave Stewart- As a member of Eurythmics with Annie Lennox,he won a GRAMMY in 1986 for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for “Missionary Man.” Artists he has collaborated with include Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Mick Jagger, Alison Krauss, and Stevie Nicks. In 2012 Stewart released his latest solo album, The Ringmaster General.
Congratulations to the Award Recipients and to the More than 700 Companies that Helped Make MIDI Popular.
We celebrated the Award by taking out an advertisement in the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards Souvenir Book (see left, click to enlarge). If you look closely at the ad you will see the names of hundreds of current and former MMA member companies in the background of the ad. Companies that donated funding for the ad are featured via logos.
