Week 11 - Does the Music Industry create the Market?

It is argued that the music industry creates the market. It has a lot of control over what they sell and how to make a profit. Hence, the industry will only promote a music artist which is consumer friendly. Once a band becomes a success and of popular demand, their image becomes liked. Then the industry will take a new band and formulate them around those who are of success (already liked), therefore several bands at a time will sound and be very similar. For instance boy bands, part of the music industry produced a band and when it was discovered that it was a hit they all followed suit. These industries are in completion with other industries so need to create diversity against their rivals and therefore aim their music and genres for a certain market. However there is in favour that the audience create the market, as music is in their best interest and they will not busy a record that they do not want. So therefore it is possible for a music industry to flop as it is the consumer who decides what is popular, and they create the market.

Week 11 - Does the music industry create the market?

It is argued that the music industry creates the market. It has a lot of control over what they sell and how to make a profit. Hence, the industry will only promote a music artist which is consumer friendly. Once a band becomes a success and of popular demand, their image becomes liked. Then the industry will take a new band and formulate them around those who are of success (already liked), therefore several bands at a time will sound and be very similar. For instance boy bands, part of the music industry produced a band and when it was discovered that it was a hit they all followed suit. These industries are in completion with other industries so need to create diversity against their rivals and therefore aim their music and genres for a certain market. However there is in favour that the audience create the market, as music is in their best interest and they will not busy a record that they do not want. So therefore it is possible for a music industry to flop as it is the consumer who decides what is popular, and they create the market.

Week 10 - Review of Mixmag in the language style it is written in

Mixmag has about 37 adverts in a monthly mag which holds roughly about 154 pages. The majority of the ads are music based, and never is seen an advert in Mixmag which is advertising a product such as a car, alcoholic drink, or clothing brand much like other mags do. The type that you’ll find are up and coming festival ads, clubs across the UK, club events, compilation albums, and singles. Visibly Mixmag have a strict advertising policy going on. A lot of the content has interviews with artists and DJs, big talks on raves, gigs and festivals in hand, even a section consisting of several pages long about fashion. The mag has info on all the top dance and trance clubs across London town with their address and contact details to get hold of them. In all, Mixmag is for the hardcore dance fan, or even someone who is in the business, whether it be DJing or promotions. It doesn’t dispute the fact that girls cannot grab this mag but primarily it seems to be situated for an audience of males 25 plus, seeing as a percentage of more males take part in and have more of an interest in this genre of music. To improve Mixmag more can be done on the music that is more commercial and known to an amateur dance fan as well as having that of the underground scene, then those will not feel daunted to pick up such a big mag and read it.

Week 9 - Are blackness and whiteness useful concepts in the study of popular music?

“Pop music has always depended upon the interaction between white and black traditions.” (Hatch and Millward, 1987)”

Blackness and whiteness can be seen as a way to define the origins of specific types of music. Few genres of music can withhold black and white tendencies, while some genres are more commonly known as owning either white or black tendencies. It has been made even more difficult to determine whether a genre is black or white based seeing as many songs have be written by one race but performed by another, i.e. Little Junior Parker first sung Mystery Train being a black artist, while Elvis Presley who was white took the song in later years for himself and it soon appealed to the masses. Thus rock actually being associated with black artists before hand. As countries are becoming multicultural and immigration increasing, popular music is becoming very culturally diverse, despite stereotypes of what music is black (i.e. Hip Hop) and what is white (i.e. Classical) still sticking in societies frameworks. Whatever race, anyone can perform a musical genre of their taste, and is done so (i.e. Black lead singer in Indie Punk band ‘Bloc Party’) which means styles of blackness and whiteness seem to be integrating.

Week 8 - Are subcultures a sign of revolt or an expression of style?

Stanley Cohen saw subculture as being a threat to social values and interests by a person or group of people. A significant sign of revolt can be shown by the skinhead subculture, by being linked with criminal activity, portraying themselves as working class via dress sense in Ben Sherman shirts, tatty jeans, and boots, additionally they listened to music of the ska genre. Others will see these people as being harmless and just expressing their style by costume and grammar used as a way of reacting to the political goings on at the time. Additionally Punks expression of style was distinguished and exposed through lyric in song, clothing, and even art work. ‘God Save the Queen’ by the Sex Pistols saw an album cover which revealed much response due to its shocking nature as they aimed to outrage society with behaviour. The 70s strikes can be an excuse to their revolt, while others thought they were a ‘creative mess’. Thus, subcultures can be taken up as being both revolt and expression

Week 7 - Can popular music be a genuine force for political change?

Popular music can change political stance by motivating and bringing awareness to the people. Some musical forms with their effects have had to be banned by the government as they were so powerful. Protest Songs for instance Red Wedge with The Red Flag, supporting the Labour Party in the 89 Elections, were used to enforce political movement. But their fail of winning shows how popular music isn’t always a force for political change. Even National Anthems which show a symbol of the country has political residence, being the reason why England v Ireland at Croke Park, Ireland didn’t want England’s anthem sung as last time both played at Croke Park, Ireland supporters were shoot. While Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday pushed barriers of segregation. However there is no factual evidence that such music has changed anything. This music is seen more as a soundtrack to the life at the time and its happenings, rather than making any political change. ‘Awareness’ campaigns (or as Shuker calls ‘conscious rock’) such as Band Aid can be seen as helping situations in third world countries by raising money, but there has been no long term solving of the problem, and on the other hand it helps the careers of the artists more so.

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

Its hard to say if Digital Rights Management (DRM) is the best way to save the music industry so what has to be taken into account is whether the music industry actually needs saving at all. DRM is utilised in order to protect the rights of artists’ music copyright (as well as other media forms such as film). This restriction helps in creating a fair usage of music in a legal form, which in turn allows artists and record companies do better regarding money and overall record success as more people are paying for their music. Although few sites allow for piracy to occur, such as Limewire, where illegal downloading takes place on a large file sharing basis online, therefore causing a problem for the industries financial status. And new networks can always be replaced once caught out and stopped i.e. Napster once closed down was soon replace with the likes of WinMX and Limewire. A positive to a lack in DRM is that it can lead to the purchasing of an artists music as consumers can sample the track online to know what it sounds like, for instance as iTunes does. Despite music being downloaded illegally, a correct compatibility with the right music player is still needed which can hold those downloaders at a disadvantage. DRM may not be the finest way to retain the music industry as long as a market for free downloads are available.

Week 5 - Can popular music ever really be unplugged?

Popular music cannot be unplugged as to keep it popular it needs to be distributed and in order to do so the music has to be performed with technology to be recorded and placed on to CD. There wouldn’t be the varied genres we have today, such as Rock music, where all of its sound is consisted of technology and its misuse. For instance the Stratocaster by Fender in 1954 and the feedback made by the closeness of the amplifier and instrument constituted a trademark sound and an iconic style for rock n roll. A need for microphone and amp is important in the creation of popular music so not to overshadow the other instruments when performing, such as drums overpowering vocals. It can be said Radio 1’s Unplugged is contradictory as techniquly the music is not unplugged as to be heard it is recorded. The points that say popular music can be unplugged are always justified. Such as singing acapella, but there is the need of a venue that would have to have the ability to carry a voice to make it loud enough for audience appreciation. Also the banging on an inanimate object (a table) can be performed to produce popular music; however as it is the use of scientific knowledge it makes the table technology.

Week 4 - What is world music and why does it exist?

World music is a genre that covers all music that is not part of mainstream pop music within Western Europe and North America (English speaking countries). It has an "ethnic" element to it that can be seen as pop music that embodies influences from the third world. World music has sounds that reflect a particular culture through the use of geographically specific musical structure, instruments, and lyrics that can also reflect a cultural, social, and even political realism. As an audience we can determine world music as a musical style that is rooted to a culture which is opposed to our own. When musical styles and cultures mix using a range of cultural instruments and styles it is called world fusion. Meaning, it doesn't necessarily matter where an artist is from or their background, if a performer uses different ethnic influences that are apparent in song then that is World Music. Robinson, Buck and Cuthbert indicated that international and local sounds are being fused to create world music, and an example of this is Punjabi MC who has taken Asian cultural music and fused it with a Western hip-hop beat. This music exists as we live in a globalise world where culture plays influence on the music that is made in each country. Without it a distinctive sense of national identity would not be distinguished. It can be said this genre is used as a marketing device, sometimes referring to any kind of foreign music, especially in a foreign language.

Week 3 - Is popular music a commodity form or is it art?

With an artist it is difficult to determine whether they are an artist for the ability to express a feeling or idea, or whether they are truly in it to make money. Adorno agrees that popular music is a commodity. Adornos idea of Pseudo Individualisation explains why popular music is a commodity as the illusion of exclusivity is achieved by marketing a music album for a second time for instance which is practically the same as the one before. Even covers of songs like ‘against all odds’ by Phil Collins has had its structure re-used by the likes of Westlife, seeing the music as just a selling commodity. Popular music is a universal text which is sold, a done so by being contained by a particular consisting of a CD or vinyl. Although music is part of a performance when expressed, which makes it a form of art. Like art, good music can not be achieved by just anyone, there has to be a variety of talent involved. Musicians are referred to as artists for such a reason. With artistic covers achieved by producers and musicians such as Mark Ronson there is the idea of popular music being an art. Popular music is not consumed more than once by a particular artist as other commodities are such as a good pair of Converse shoes. As a consumer we’ll buy a similar style or connotation of music to that artist.

Week 2 - What are the strengths and weaknesses of R.A. Peterson's production of culture approach to the birth of rock 'n' roll?

In 1955 R.A. Peterson introduced six factors that were behind the cause of Rock ‘n’ roll. Though behind this production of culture approach there are strengths and weaknesses that favour and hold back this idea. What was happening in society and did happen with laws, technology and industry structure, it gave reason for this emergence of something fresh and innovative. Rock ‘n’ roll arose because the major networks of NBC, CBS and Mutual dropped their hold on everything which gave way for the emergence of new music to be heard. For instance after war in 1947 there was much air time to be filled so smaller radio stations came forward to fill schedules which thus resulted in gramophone records to be utilised. With this flood in the radio market, stations had to stand out by playing a range of music. As Rock ‘n’ roll was a new sound it made any station be prominent from the rest, so Rock ‘n’ roll made stations and therefore itself popular. Draw backs of the approach is that it doesn’t actually address music, and more so Rock ‘n’ roll as a genre. The ideas are based more on culture and society. Rock ‘n’ roll was not the only genre at this time also so why did this approach to the production of culture help Rock 'n' roll to explode in the music scene over others. Finally, Peterson doesn’t explain the feeling of music that Rock ‘n’ roll gave at the time, and why this was so different, therefore he doesn’t use aural understanding (his ears!) of Rock ‘n’ roll to comprehend the genre.

Week1 - What is Popular Music?

Throughout centuries the meaning behind popular has changed. In early 16th Century, what was referred to as popular meant that it was ‘low or base, vulgar, of the common people’ as Raymond Williams (1976) proclaimed, though the term became widely favoured as a synonym for good by the 18th Century. Anahid Kassabian believed ‘popular’ to arise from and of the ‘folk’. Meaning that such people create music for their own enjoyment, creativity or expression which is usually home-made. Although in todays understanding of popular, ‘folk’ appears to be in opposition. With the control of business enterprises surrounding popular music, profit becomes a large motive for musicians. Additionaly the commercial orientation of popular music takes music away from its grassroots ‘folk’ level, and thus its consumption is what makes music popular, as Robert Burnett informs ‘when we speak of popular music we speak of music that is commerically orientated.’ Therefore when music is commercialised, sells, and becomes favoured (whatever the genre) it becomes pop music.