Why Study Pop Music
“Pop culture used to be all the stuff you had to wait for after school to enjoy. But these days, pop culture is just as likely to be the stuff you study in school” .
In 1986 Michael Hannan establish a contemporary Popular Music program at Southern Cross University a trained classical pianist and musicologist he had previously worked in rock bands and for AC/DC’s publisher. Hannan recounts how in 2000 “at least 8 of the 37 universities in Australia are now offering degrees servicing aspects of the Popular Music, where as in 1985 there were none. In institutions that have traditionally focused on classical music, there may be a realisation that a broader market of students needs to be targeted in order for them to survive in an era of declining public support for the arts” . Hannan asks “What are the reasons for this mini-revolution in music training in universities?” and it is this is the question I hope to debate in this essay.
Hannan proposes that, “music training has been traditionally limited to middle class students with a classical music background, most of whom qualify for university entry on the basis of the privately-funded individual music, not from the practical music experiences they have received in a public education system” . This point is further reinforced by culture theorist Henry Giroux “Of course, education has always been a product of privilege,''…“In that way, pop culture is much more available and accepted than the formal knowledge.'' Hannan’s significantly focuses on the rapid rise of Popular Music as a serious educational topic while demonstrating a shift in traditional class values that influence what or how things are taught in education systems. This change in attitude...
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It's Not Only Rock & Roll by Professor Donald Roberts of Stanford and Professor Peter Christenson of Lewis and Clark College - Hampton Press
Rockin' Out: Popular Music in the USA by Reebee Garofalo.- Allyn & Bacon, 1997. ISBN 0-205-13703-2.
Classical Music in an Age of Pop by Greg Sandow from http://www.gregsandow.com/914.htm
The Training of Contemporary Popular Musicians Michael Hannan - This paper was first delivered at the International Association for the Study of Popular Music United Kingdom Conference (University of Surrey, Guildford) on July 8, 2000 - http://www.mca.org.au/m15224.htm
Introduction: The Challenge of the Sociology of Culture to Sociology as a Discipline by Diane Crane . p. 5
Preface to Rock Troubadours – Conversations on the Art & Craft of Song Writing by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, String Letter Publishing 2000 edition
In Bruno Nettl's article A Place for All Musics? Confrontation and Mediation he talked about how the “School of Music” and “Departments of Music” are so far from the reality of accepting all music. These schools typically only study Western European art music and Nettl through this article is pointing out the major flaws with this system as a distant observer. He wrote, “Even the various sorts of Western art music may not be included on equal terms. Actually, there are some ways in which the music school functions almost as an institution for the suppression of certain musics. Its library may avoid the purchase of popular music, and in decades past some music deans forbade students to play popular music or jazz in their spare time. . .” Nettle continued to discuss how music schools understandably are out to decontaminate music students of wasteful music such as popular music. He said, “In its judgment of the interrelationships of musics in its community, the music school is very much concerned with the concept of pollution.” Even though Nettle pointed out these issues within the musi...
The story of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll has a mythical quality to it. It speaks of racial barriers bridged through the fusion of Afro-American musical styles with white popular music in 1950s America. Not only did white record producers and radio disc jockeys market Afro-American artists, but white artists began to cover their songs, as well as incorporate Afro-American style into their own song writing. The musical style was so powerful that the white audience was infected by it, despite the social stigma that listening to “race music” possessed. The common view of teenagers’ participation in the creation of rock ‘n’ roll as an act of rebellion runs parallel with the music’s legendary origins. Through rock ‘n’ roll, the teenagers of the United States created a generational gap that angered their parents’ generation. Teenagers rejected kitchy Tin Pan Alley, “Sing Along with Mitch,” and the sleepy crooning of Perry Como in favour of sexually charged race music. Historians have taken different approaches to the question of teen rebellion. While some consider their love of rock ‘n’ roll revolutionary, others argue that the music cemented teenagers within the conformity and materialism of the 1950s; what cars were to adults, rock ‘n’ roll was to teens.[1]
... Popular Music Studies 23, no. 1 (2011): 19-39. Accessed April 28, 2014. Academic Search Complete.
The nineties were an exceptional decade for music which, unfortunately, has not been reprised to this day. The formerly mentioned decade witnessed the emergence of alternative rock music as an outlet for those who were saturated by the excesses that characterized the eighties and the lack of substance of some of its music. Accordingly, during the nineties, music audiences began to value talent over appearance, catchy rhythms, meaningless lyrics, and flashy choreographies. Moreover, throughout this time, music was conceived as a means to inspire and move listeners, rather than a mere tool for product placement. Thus, the nineties gave birth to a phenomenal musical genre that has yet to be surpassed since it created a deep connection with the afflicted souls of a generation, valued music’s inspirational quality over intricate musical arrangements, and introduced the world to a plethora of invaluable artists for whom music was their utmost priority.
Western Music has developed in many ways since the middle ages through its form, sound, and message. Throughout these different periods in western music one thing has remained constant, the true essence of music, a way to communicate with someone on a much more divine level than be by rudimentary conversation. Though Ludwig Van Beethoven and Paul McCartney may seem completely opposite they have one in common through their music they changed the world’s perception of its self
Epstein, Dan. 20th Century Pop Culture: The Early Years to 1949. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2001. Print.
In closing, the undoubtable influence of music, more specifically of Rock ‘n’ Roll on American society is responsible for a number of changes to the status quo. These range from sexual liberation and racial desegregation all culminating with other influences to create an intergenerational identity. Despite the desperate attempts of older generations to smother these influences, these changes ultimately shaped the years that followed, molding the country into what it is today. Along the way these changes as well as individual involvement in them has also eased the lives of many through empowerment and a feeling of community and purpose. Despite a lull and renewal Rock ‘n’ Roll continues to serve as an agent of influence and change in today’s youth culture and continues to burn in the heart of past generations of loyal fans.
Music plays a major role in life for most people. It can soothe and excite, encourage sleep and encourage dancing, we can sing to it and ponder it. There are so many different uses of music and so many mediums through which to play it such as Pandora, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Beyond that, more songs every day there are new songs being written. Statistics show that ninety-five percent of all Americans think that music is a core part of a balanced and well-rounded education. The same study showed that ninety-three percent of Americans thought music belonged in the public schooling system, and seventy-nine percent even suggested that music education should be mandatory for all students. Still, studies show that a staggering twenty percent of high school students choose
In the 1930s-1950s, we saw people who were culture brokers. Culture brokers are defined as “the act of inking or mediating between groups or persons of differing cultural backgrounds for the purpose of reducing conflict or producing change”. This was seen as some of the "best work" of the economy and state because culture brokers simply buy and sell things to make a profit. We see the transformation of folk forms, such as the blues into popular commercialized music and this offers a way to fight with the questions of authenticity in popular culture and how music has been collected and sold by culture brokers. A historian, John Storey, writes about how working in Europe and the United States created and defined popular culture as a "mass culture", the commercialized forms used by the urban, working class. The folk represented examples of authentic and immutable American culture. Mass culture on the other hand, was subject to the market, changed with technologies and audiences and aimed at the masses. In the 1930s, some folklorists became commercial promoters of folk music as part of the "cult of authenticity". As broadcast radio matured, it offered new venues f...
After announcing my decision to a number of friends and acquaintances, I began to encounter not a few misconceptions about the study of music. Many people readily expressed their uninformed opinion that music (particularly vocal performance) was an easy college major for anyone with a modicum of talent: “Just open your mouth and let the music pour out.” Some showed their ignorance by commenting that music majors had both light and easy course loads. There are even some people who refuse to acknowledge that music is a serious academic discipline. They believe music is a refuge for slackers who do not want to tackle the really difficult courses. Others have insinuated
McPherson, Ian. “The Salt of the Earth: 1955-1960 R&B-Derived Rock & Roll.” Time Is On Our
Tick, Judith, and Paul E. Beaudoin. Music in the USA: a Documentary Companion. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2008. Print.
Tagg, P. (1982). Analysing popular music; theory, method and practise. Popular Music (2), pp. 71-101.
Logsdon, L. F. (2013). Questioning the Role of "21st-century skills" in arts education advocacy discourse. Music Educators Journal, 100(1), 51-56.
Many public schools offer music education as part of their curriculum. Although these classes are required, many schools choose not to allocate enough money into the music programs in favor of better scores on standard tests. Recently there have been many strides to strengthen the importance of music education.