Without technology music would be based on the power of the human voice and handmade instruments, which before the 1900's was everything that anybody knew and understood about music, even still today places in the world rely on unplugged music and it is all they know.
Today in the society we live in, music would most likely cease to exist without electronic technology, music is based around recording the material and distrubuting the music for the audiences. Without any electronic technology nobody could listen to music or buy music via the internet or even from record shops such as HMV. Music would be either classical music, big band or acapella. The development of the amplifier, the microphone and the electric guitar was the landmark for music to be anything that it could be. Rock and Roll changed the way people saw music, it gave people a sense of freedom and expression and following this music festivals and concerts with events that changed the world like The Beatles at Shea Stadium and Woodstock and Live Aid would never of happened without electric technology.
I think that popular music can be unplugged depending on the society that you live in and the part of the world that you are. However in USA and the UK especially we have become conformed to popular music being in the charts and being commercialised. We rely on music using electric technology, which in my opinion is a shame as some of the most beautiful and intimate music is unplugged.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Sunday, 23 January 2011
What is Popular Music?
Popular - Originally a legal term 'popularis' meaning belonging to the people.
The term 'Popular' then meant 'widely favoured' from the 18thc onwards, which is an accurate reflection of what popular music means to people in 21stc with all of the music charts that surround music. However that doesnt mean that 'Popular' automatically means good just because it is widely favoured, the charts have featured songs such as 'Bob The Builder' and 'Mr Blobby' which are clearly commercial products other than holding any artistic value. Popular music will also always involve technology unless it is acapella relying purely on the artists voice alone.
Every type of genre of music has featured in the charts at some point, making it popular with the people. Popular music is not limited, but what is at the top of the charts doesnt always mean that that genre is the only type of music being listened too.
The term 'Popular' then meant 'widely favoured' from the 18thc onwards, which is an accurate reflection of what popular music means to people in 21stc with all of the music charts that surround music. However that doesnt mean that 'Popular' automatically means good just because it is widely favoured, the charts have featured songs such as 'Bob The Builder' and 'Mr Blobby' which are clearly commercial products other than holding any artistic value. Popular music will also always involve technology unless it is acapella relying purely on the artists voice alone.
Every type of genre of music has featured in the charts at some point, making it popular with the people. Popular music is not limited, but what is at the top of the charts doesnt always mean that that genre is the only type of music being listened too.
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