ipl-logo

Technology's Influence In Popular Music

1573 Words7 Pages

Technology’s influence within popular music has been widely debated and there are many examples of the positives and negatives technology can bring. There are many cases where the advancement of technology has come under scrutiny as it appears to challenge ideas of authenticity, technique and various other complexed issues within popular music. This essay will explore why some technological developments in popular music are perceived as negative and will analyse these arguments to judge their validity and their cultural longevity.

To start, this essay will discuss the idea of music being in opposition to nature in popular music. Simon Frith in an article discussing technology in relation to popular music highlights the example of ‘crooning’ …show more content…

This is a complexed issue and again relates to the issue of authenticity. There is an argument that new advancements in technology moves musicians further away from the Romantic goal of self-expression. For example, there is a belief that a musician operating electronic equipment or equipment reproducing a physical sound is less in touch with self-expression than traditional instruments. This is clear when using the example of a drum machine versus a physical drum kit. The listener in the case of a drum machine is experiencing a reproduction of a sound in a much different way than the sound of a physical drum kit. This provides an obvious point of contention as a musician using a drum machine is not physically creating the sound that the listener is hearing unlike the act of hitting a drum. There is a perception that people can directly reproduce electronic sounds whereas the more traditional physical instruments have many more elements of self-expression as the individual is in complete control of the sound being produced. There is also a negative view in the art of performance in relation to these points and this is highlighted by Frith. ‘One reason why synthesizers, drum machines, tape records and so on are regarded as unnatural instruments in performance is simply because playing them takes little obvious effort.’6 (p.268). All of these ideas …show more content…

It is almost impossible to detach the idea of musicking from the development of technologies, whether that is the development of a cello or the invention of synthesizers. It can be argued that communities have their own rules regarding technology although we also see how technology has allowed communities to thrive like electronic music which doesn’t exist without technological advancements. Popular music and it’s relationship with technology has become entrenched in the idea of authenticity or truth, which in many disciplines has become a concept that is hard to define or achieve. In the case of popular music, it is even harder to detach as the development of technology has allowed for the transmission and circulation of music which is now, more than ever, a global

Show More
Related
351 Words | 2 Pages

In Mark Edmundson’s Article “Can Music Save Your Life?” he discusses his theories on music. He goes through personal experience and later onto philosophical stances. Edmunds believes music, opens figurative doors, should inspire one to create, and above all preserves the listener. Edmundson says music should make the listener desire to create.

Read More
764 Words | 4 Pages

The entertainment industry encompasses the composition, production, and marketing of music. The music industry has emerged as a dominant business and has maintained popularity by means of adapting alongside social movements, and representing different major classes of society. Music has been used by entertainers as a method of expression, and therefore often sheds light on prominent issues by illustrating relatable stories, or reactions to common problems. For example, The Drums, a modern Indie musical group, has composed the lyrics to the hit song “Money” to include imagery and repetition that work to expose the everyday struggle that impoverished Americans undergo.

Read More
1458 Words | 6 Pages

Rob Rosenthal and Richard Flacks in their book Playing for Change: Music and Musicians in the Service of Social Movements poses the question “under what conditions, and ways, does music contribute to social change?” (Rosenthal and Flacks 8). The authors intention of posing this question is to argue that, not only culture, but the musicians and the different genre of music they produce are important to social movements. Their aim was to go beyond documenting the links between social movements and music. Determining and analysing “how music actually serves the various functions that have been claimed for it and to begin to determine how the function and effects of music vary depending on social and historical contexts” (Rosenthal and Flacks 5).

Read More
1233 Words | 5 Pages

The Evolution of music in the 20th Century Music is a living art form, not only is it not static in its production, like a painting which once created is intended to remain the same, but the techniques and styles used to generate music change throughout the course of history as well. Many musical theorists and philosophers have proposed different motivators for the dramatic (as compared to changes in different eras) changes in music that occurred in the 20th century. These motivators include firstly the blending of cultures through migration, both forced and voluntary, represented by the views of George Lipsitz and Iain Chambers in their respective essays “’Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens’: The Class Origins Of Rock and Roll” and “A strategy

Read More
929 Words | 4 Pages

Music, for many, is a form of communication that cannot otherwise be expressed through a simple word or gesture. In “The Myth of Music” by Rachel M. Harper, the speaker conveys the closeness and authority she feels over music in her life, specifically in terms of the relationship she has with her family, by using (metaphorical) diction and shift in tone, effectively relaying the shield she has put up to protect personal experiences through musical memories. Harper conveys the fact that everyone has been intertwined with music throughout their entire life whether they realize it or not. From the moment someone is born into the world, they are introduced to music. Music is not classified as just instruments and vocals, but rather it’s all around

Read More
640 Words | 3 Pages

The 1920’s had opened up opportunities for musicians in many ways from getting jobs to earning money, and or getting to hear the snazzy new sounds of the 20’s. The technology of music was a weightful impact not only on the 1920’s but also the 30’s, 40’s, and so on. The decade was truly the age for sound, it spread like a wildfire after cries of anathema and hatred tore open

Read More
700 Words | 3 Pages

”(p. 20) With this in mind, it is clear that music is a vital aspect of keeping society’s happiness and hope at a steady rate. It also signifies that without music there would be only darkness, and society would crumble because of

Read More
831 Words | 4 Pages

In the end, it is obvious that music has the power to change people and politics, which ultimately changes the

Read More
192 Words | 1 Pages

Modern music gives off a

Read More
740 Words | 3 Pages

In 2016 our youth and society falls victim to the music industry and its impact on how we dress, dance and act. Music is a catalyst to allow others a glimpse into our minds. Rather you write a symphony or an R&B song the music we compose is a piece of ourselves. Through the power of music we change the world and people around us, much like the musicians before our

Read More
768 Words | 4 Pages

It would be hard for one to dispute the fact that MTV has influenced every pop culture trend since its birth in 1981. One could even say that MTV is pop culture. No other media network holds in the palm of its hand the power to control popular cultural evolution the way MTV does. What other media network has influenced and helped shape public opinion, filmmaking, newsgathering techniques, presidential politics, and world politics like MTV has? In addition to that, MTV can take credit for reconstructing the music industry (Rushkoff 126).

Read More
855 Words | 4 Pages

The way hear our music today is significantly different than how older generations heard their music. Today, the technology we have available to us is incredible. Earlier generations often did not have televisions in their households, so they wouldn’t be able to hear any music from commercials or TV shows like we do today. However, earlier generations were exposed to radios. The advancements that have been made to the radio is astonishing.

Read More
1765 Words | 8 Pages

Music is one of the most important aspects to culture. Music is the glue that holds society together. Music changes constantly to fit the vision of new artists. Although music is always changing, it is often influenced by past artists or events. Many decades left a mark on musical history .

Read More
1094 Words | 5 Pages

Modern Era The Modern Era is the time period in musical development that began around the turn of the 20th century in which great changes in compositional techniques and styles took place. This era challenged and reinterpreted old styles of music, making it a time of great innovation. Although homophonic textures were used, they were used with less importance and the most dominant texture of the Modern era was contrapuntal texture.

Read More
1017 Words | 5 Pages

The archetypal forms of music were probably drum-based, prelusion instruments being the most easily handy at the time. For an example, rocks and sticks. These plain instruments are thought to have been used in spiritual tradition as representations of wild things. Therefore, many of us do not realized that listening to music really does help a person’s health physically or mentally. In that case, scientist really do recommend us to choose a person’s favorite songs based on a person’s chosen genre and blast the music up anywhere and

Read More

More about Technology's Influence In Popular Music

Related Topics

Open Document