Week 11 - Does the music industry create the market?

If there was no music industry there would be noone to create the market as there wouldn't be any music, but if the consumer did not exist then there would be no reason to have music. Both the industry and the market need each other to exist and survive. Yet, one can argue that consumers create the market more, rather than the music industry as, if the music does not sell, then the industry changes and adapts to the demand. For example, when the industry created boybands the market wanted more, so the industry grew to meet demand. But as boybands became less popular the industry again adapted to this suggesting that it is in fact the consumers that dominate and create the market, moreso than the industry.

Week 9 -Week 9~Are Blackness and Whiteness useful concepts in the study of popular music?

‘Blackness’ and ‘Whiteness’ are concepts used in order to define the origin for different types of music’s. One can argue that it is possible to split genres between these two concepts due to the ‘expected’ musical sounds and rhythms, yet it can also be seen to be almost impossible due to its constant changing nature. This may seem like a useful concept of defining music as either Black or White, however, today it is very difficult to define musical styles between these two concepts, unlike years before where the sounds of Black and White music were so different they were easily distinguishable. Today’s music brings with it countless racial combinations, of whom borrow other regional styles, so in this respect, it can be said that this concept in the study of popular music is not a useful one.

Week 8 – Are Subcultures a sign of Revolt or an Expression of Style?

Subcultures have been said to have been created through political, social and/or cultural rebellion, for example the ‘skinhead’ culture (when the working classes wanted to draw attention to the inequalities that they faced against the middle class, concerning work issues). Their distinguished music was seen to be part of a degenerate culture, yet they also have to ability to represent style as a way of expressing themselves as well as to shock and cause effect and today the changes can be seen in their style and whom they represent, now being part of a racist community of football violence. Therefore, subcultures can be an expression of style however, people who become part of these subcultures do so to rebel against their initial existence.

Week 7 - Can Popular Music be a Genuuine Force for Political Change?

Popular music can be used on as a political influence yet it doesn’t mean that the music will cause long term political change. For example, Band Aid and Live Aid was created in order to bring attention to Third World countries through the use of well know artists. This proved to be successful in raising money, however there has been no long-term change, even though it had billions of people watching all over the world. Arguably, the evidence is there that music has the ability to have a stance on political subjects and to raise awareness, but it has yet to actually be a force for political change. This is not saying that it will never happen.

Week 6 - IS DRM the best way to save the music industry?

Statistics show that there has been a decrease in the music industries profits, and the development of illegal music downloading and sharing is arguably the main reason. Therefore, putting restrictions on MP3 files as to limit the amount of illegal downloads appears to be a good idea, yet not necessarily a successful method due to the amount of downloading networks still readily available. Arguably the music industry needs to adapt with technology and use music networking in way to help themselves. For example, people may preview music that they have never heard before, enjoy it, and could consequently result in them buying it eventually, tickets to gigs or relating products. However, it can be argued that the music industry is no where near being needed to be saved, it just needs to adapt to changes.

Week 5 - Can popular music really ever be unplugged?

Unplugged music is that which does not utilise modern technology in any part of its production or distribution, and P. Thelberge suggests, ‘without electronic technology, popular music in the 21st century is unthinkable’, indicating that if popular music were to be unplugged, then this would limit artist’s distribution, thus turning full circle and arguably not being popular music due to the restricted groups in which it can be played to. However, it can also be argued that music can be unplugged and still remain successful, for example the popularity of acoustic music that exposes the talent of musicians without the support of technology, even this category of music needs the aid of technology in the sense that if it were to be played the masses it would need technological amplification.

To conclude, popular music is in a category of its own that is dependent on technology to exist, yet evidently there is a market for unplugged music that again survives on the exact opposite.

Week 4 - What is World Music and why does it exist?

World music is associated with its use of rhythm and usually associated with musics from Africs, yet has recently become more inclusive (now with inclusion of American, Asian and European music), albeit a product that has derived from aggrieved, disadvantaged or third world populations., in order to represent a small subculture through the fusion, as Tony Mitchell (1993) notes, of modern and traditional music.

At an linguistic level, world music is associated with the translation of lyrics to those other than English. It can also be argued that world music has been institutionalised through the construction as a sub-genre, advertisements, festivals, radio and television programmes.

World music supplies a sense of cultures as being homogeneous, as well being used as a concept of race though its biological and musical characteristics. So therefore, it can be argued that world music is not necessarily about a particular repertoire or group of people, but about the importance of particular musical practices in relation to that of mainstream, inviting a choice of musical experiences. It can also be said to be a reminder of the hierarchical dominance that the music industries enforce upon music markets with the ability to keep at bay any music which falls outside that of mainstream.

Week 3 - Is Popular Music a Mass Produced Commodity or a Form of Art?

Adorno agues that popular music is standardized, for example, the part interchangability which is used to streamline costs can be seen in music where the same musical structure has been used in one song, and changed slightly to produce something different. (E.g. Hank Williams, 1974, Move It On Over, and Bill Haley, 1953, Rock Around the Clock). This illusion of uniqueness that Adorno argues is necessary to market a commodity, is in essence the same as the host, which is called pseudo individualisation.

Gendren agrees with Adorno arguing that classical music focuses on melody and harmony whereas popular music is more concentrated with timbre and connotation, yet recognition and the ability to create a three minute piece of music has not been expressed; it is much like trying to downsize a 1500 word essay to 150 words...very hard indeed! However this does not necessarily mean that popular music is less of an art. If art is an expression of an artist then whether it has elements of standardization or pseudo individualisation it is still arguably art. So as there are elements of originality, whether intentionally or not (as the voice is original) it can be argued that the popular music industry is not an all consuming production line that churns out mass produced, inferior commodities, as Adorno believes!

Week 2 - What are the Strengths and Weaknesses of R.A. Peterson's Production of Culture Approach to the Birth of Rock and Roll.

Peterson uses a production of culture perspective arguing that rather than culture offering exposure about society, it is a reflection of the producers of cultural items. He has established six factors for the emergence of Rock and Roll through this.

The music industry at the beginning of the 50's was oblivious to the gap in the market, one that could fulfil the demand for alternative music, that of Rock and Roll. The music industry controlled the production, distribution and marketing of their products, and with the transfer from radio airing to television meant that records were able to be played as a cheap form of programming.

Like Peterson's argument for the sudden evolution of Rock and Roll, Jazz can be seen to have similarities as well as the sudden development of country music, of which Peterson does not connect. Therefore, it is questionable that Peterson's '6 constraints' could possibly be linked to the dynamics of other music and the industry as a whole. He also claims that there was a demand from post-war baby-boomers for Rock and Roll, however the eldest would only have been 9 years old, questioning whether this point is really relevant.

Peterson's theory tends to be very business orientated, looking at the industry rather than addressing the actual music, questioning as to whether it is possible for anyone to theorise about the birth of Rock and Roll without taking into account the emotive, energetic and personified aspects to the music, giving rise to whether it is actually unquantifiable all together.

What is popular music? Week 1.

Possibly an impossible question to answer, but if the argument were to start somewhere, it must arguably start with Frans Birrer’s 1985 classification of popular music (p.104). He discusses how popular music is commonly associated with and created by a clear social group, arguably the middle-class. Birrer notes that popular music is not something completely innovative as it can be seen to carry similarities from other categories of music, such as ‘folk’ and ‘art’ music. Popular music, as Birrer defines is circulated within the mass market, providing ease of accessibility to a wide audience as a commercial product.

However, it would be naïve to take this theory as complete analysis of popular music due to its constant evolving nature. In summery, popular music has no fixed theory and no established boundaries, as music that is created and that is enjoyed, produced and consumed can debatably be termed as popular music.