Muzak
Š.a true storyŠSo there I was last year, walking through the supermarket on an afternoon like any other, trying to get everything I needed:
Špicking over the vegetables, as out of a murky fog, I realized that my foot was tapping out a sonorous beat, apparently out of my concentration. What's more amazing, I now see, is that the lazy rhythm from my foot matches a melody which has been ringing behind my thoughts as I decided what kind of onions to buy&emdash;also without me being fully aware of it. All of a sudden, a minor physical revulsion causes me to set down my basket on the produce, my body trying to exorcise this foreign invasion. What is this thing? And that tune! It sounds like a watered-down version of Eric Clapton's acoustic "Layla", terribly deflated and played by a bunch of sixty-year-old orchestra players&emdash;I am still not too sure. But it will not seem to go awayŠ.the soothing sounds turn malicious as they bounce off the walls of the nutrition center, the meat department, housewares. Everyone I see is milling around like before, are they hearing what fills my ears? Is that same insidious song playing with their minds? Now that I focus on the music rambling from the loudspeaker in the ceiling, it appears as if they are all part of a silent movie&emdash;acting against a separate, unrelated soundtrack.
When I first started exploring background music, I came to realize that the issue involves much more than those whiny songs wafting from crappy mono speakers in department stores. It stretches far beyond these simple associations, significantly affecting the changing workplace and worker control, as well as the site of consumption and consumer control. Muzak is now a tool widely used around the world&emdash;liked by most people, revered by some, and detested by others.
That's Muzak, not 'muzak'
It is important to understand here that Muzak is not just another term for background (or, annoying) music; it should not be confused with the numerous impostors which play in elevators and the like. It is the name of an American corporation and its sophisticated business programming . As one of its brochures explains succinctly, "The raw material of Muzak is music." And why is music unable to achieve the same results as their product?
Because music is art, but Muzak it science. And when you employ the science of Muzak: in an office, workers tend to get more done, more efficiently, and felt happier.
Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery" is all about how an old tradition as the lottery exceeds our expectations. First by giving us the readers the believe that the price of the lottery would be something great. Making us questioning the results and why to do this with no explanation at the end. Teaching us how traditions are that don’t make sense are killing because Society is clinging to this traditions and practices.
...ue. Consumers shouldn’t have to settle with music instead they should be enjoying it. In order to get the authenticity back within commercialized music it will only happen if people begin to realize the power that they hold. Once people start to realize that then the music that is produced, and sung will have a more significant affect on its listeners; music then can continue to be inspiring. Quality music is and will always be cherished more than mass-produced commercialized cacophony.
For example, music is becoming more widely available to the general public with the introduction of mp3 players and the growth of the online music industry. The essay is concluded with my personal feelings towards the use of electronic technology within the live music industry, as well as the recording studio environment. This conclusion reveals that while the use of electronic technology has become crucial in the modern music market, it should not detract from the quality of live music produced. In this way, I feel that the use of electronic technology – namely drum machines and computerised backing tracks – have had a negative effect on the live music industry, because the majority of artists within the ‘pop’ genre now use computer-generated backing for live performances.
Music as we know it today is the voice of a generation. It gives us entertainment, and
As with any other Sunday of the year, it was time to mow the grass yet again. Me, my brother and my father are the men for the job on these nice hot days. We all plug into our headphones into our ears as if to escape from the labor that is mowing. This day however, is very different from all the rest. My father, instead of listening to his calming house music while on our riding lawn mower, decides to listen to heavy metal. Next thing you know, our lawn mower has a bent wheel and blade from him crashing into things. This is just one real life example of how music can take you from calm, cool, and collected to angry and destructive. From seeing how one person can react to angry music how would a whole society react to music as a whole group?
...eople maybe have never heard. Nevertheless music is still evolving and traveling cross and making an impact on individuals. One day everyone: young, elderly, disabled, delusional, and criminals will know music is a beneficial tool and also a positive motivation.
The overwhelming fragrances of sickly-sweet candyfloss mixed with unflattering odours of fat and grease bubbling vigorously in the fryers attacking my insides causing my stomach to turn. The scrumptious aroma of popcorn has got my taste buds and is tingling down the back of my throat. I’m gasping at the enormous roller coaster with the tiny black dummies waving their arms around helplessly and screaming-over and over again drowning out the unfamiliar tunes playing from the juke box.
I awake to lukewarm water dripping down my forehead from a damp towel. I feel a thick liquid against my back. I scan the area, Unfamiliar. I find myself lying in a cot in a filthy room. The sight room itself was depressing, not that it was in extremely bad conditions but it was all…brown, the kind of brown that makes you feel depressed. It reeked of fish and motor oil, one of the queerest combinations of scents I have encountered. My ears start to pick up the deep monotones of a man speaking in other room. In my drowsy state I couldn’t make out exactly what he said but I did manage to g...
There are many ways in which music affects and surrounds us. It is our creative outlet, our passion, our distraction, our night out or simply our moment of relaxation. Throughout the centuries, music has played a vital role in our lives. We as a society immerse ourselves in music day to day. From grandiose social gatherings and dances in the Middle Ages, to live concerts and monumental performances to date. Music is in films to elicit emotion and in television commercials to make us consumers of the newest technology. More importantly, it is in our preferred listening device because we choose the particular songs and artists we like and want to hear. The Marriam-Webster dictionary defines music as “sounds that are sung by voices or played on musical instruments; the art or skill of creating or performing music.” But why do we choose attend the Bruce Springsteen concert at Wrigley Field and not the Chicago Symphony Orchestra? What makes us enjoy one type of music or artist and not another? Whether you make music or simply enjoy it by listening to it, we are all connected to music in a variety of ways.
Attempting to recover from my embarrassment, I was suddenly startled by a cacophony . . . music, perhaps? It must have been music, because I glanced down to find my foot tapping away to a beat long forgotten.
Jackson, S. (1948). The Lottery. In X. J. Kennedy, D. Kennedy & M. Muth (Eds.), The Bedford guide for college writers (6th ed., p. 257). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
middle of paper ... ... A. The "Music and Censorship" Noise Between Stations. Dec. 1, 1991. Web.
"Music Influence On Society." SocialPC - Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy etc. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. .
Musical preferences are as diverse as the people who listen to them. Different types of music have different reputations; heavy metal music is often labeled as "negative," yet others find it a harmless form of music. It is my belief that music may have some sort of effect on the listener, but nothing serious and nothing damaging. The behavior of a person is purely their own, whether it be caused from their parents telling them no or a kid they hate at school spoke with them; however, this is by no means the musicians’ faults.
Think back on a time when you experienced something stressful. How did you cope with it? Recall a time when you needed to relax. What did you use to help you? Chances are your answers involve music. The desire to play music while working, studying, or even relaxing is universal. Whether playing the music, singing along, or just listening, music can have many positive effects that aren’t often recognized. Music is unique in its ability to stimulate more than just one brain hemisphere, incorporating both the right and left sides of the brain. Because both sides of the brain are being affected, there are both creative and analytical benefits to making music part of daily routines. It’s no secret that listening to or playing music is enjoyable, but studies have proven that music can boost more than just your mood.