Gary Overton's Argument Essay: State Of Music

Radio and record labels have both come a long way since when they were first invented. Radio’s came from being a great source of entertainment among those who were able to afford it. It was a staple within the household. Sometimes the entire family would gather around the radio at a particular time and listen to the boxing match live. Record labels still work under the same concepts as they do today, rather you like them or not, they have created artist and disputed many of the favorite hits that we listen to today. Unfortunately, both are facing its own decline. Radio isn’t as structured as it used to be. Record companies are constantly battling the same forces that made them successful. Both industries face major crisis if they are not willing to reinvent their platforms to a more stable format.

Both the radio and records have had significant impact on the development on rock n’ roll. Similarly, the radio and records gave musical artists an extended ability to stretch their audiences. Strongly intertwined, while they both gave listeners the ability to find artists they like, there are some clear differences between each the developments of the radio and that of records. In the years prior, the music industry was built on the “Tin Pan Alley” system that strictly controlled musicians and popular music (Schloss, Starr, and Waterman, p. 2-7). And much like the spirit of rock n’ roll itself, people within the industry eventually grew tired of conformity and no longer felt the need to follow the rules. Radio stations started forming separate licensing companies (BMI), which allowed them to play what they want (Schloss, Starr, and Waterman, p. 7). With an “open door” policy that allowed broadcasters to play music they wanted, radio stations had the important job of sharing a variety of music that could be heard all across the country. The radio began to function as a way of transporting records and genres of music all over the country from the traditional cultures they formed, which includes R&B, blues, and country. This reshaped the music industry by expanding its reach to new audiences. This, “allowed songwriters working outside of mainstream pop to claim royalties on the use of their songs on broadcasted

A large amount of people nowadays, like a douche named Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys, believe that popular, or “pop”, music is unoriginal, overrated, meaningless trash, and often times not considered music. Sure, there are plenty of idiotically synthesized songs, unneeded auto-tuned voices, with unfortunately cliché lyrics, and a seemingly endless repetition of the chorus, provided at this contemporary time musicians who follow that pattern are unable to make it or stay in the music business. Pop music is just a new form of song that can appeal to the modern masses.

Popular music was in the hands of shady hucksters who would bribe radio DJs to play the latest songs by their marginally-talented (but great-looking) stars (if you think this

Mel Karmazin noted: “Every radio comes equipped with an on/off switch.” Not to say that radio isn’t still a valid contender, but times have changed since our parents listened to Top 40 as their primary means of audio enjoyment. Entertainment payola is relatively harmless nowadays, wherein the past it could exert considerable influence (threatening moral creativity/stifling economic components) the Digital Age has seem the rise of consumer choice, and buying power. Fundamentally if no one likes the music, no one will listen, and stations only hurt themselves when they alienate

Within the new era of the Nashville Sound it brings along with it overbearing producers and record labels with their own hidden agendas. “He has cooked up a sound all his own: hot, fierce, overbearing, full of energy and desire, a sound to jump right out of the jukebox. But Phillips wants money, a lot of it, and he wants to set the world on its ear” (Elvis: Presliad, 142). What ever happened

Overall, I think many artist find it hard to resist caving to their audiences wants and needs. Each artists craves to be better then the next. However, when thinking about selling out one artist comes to mind, Taylor Swift. Swift started as a country singer and than did a 360 down the road and started producing up beat pop music. At first, I think many people liked her because she was unique. She wrote all her songs, could sing and play the guitar wrote her own songs. Nonetheless, after a while her music got old and she became a joke only writing about her love life. Nothing stood out about her music anymore, which affected her audience. Also country music wasn't as popular at the time. However, later in Swift's career her music style changed

There is no disputing that society is influenced by its choices of entertainment. Some ways in which people are influenced are positive, but others are harmful. In the society we live in, the harmful ways always outnumber the positive. If we gravitated toward the positive forms of entertainment a little more often than the negative, then our society would have fewer problems. Popular music has a negative effect on society and endorses a lack of creativity.

"Steve Jobs is personally responsible for killing the music business." ~ Jon Bon Jovi"(Arias 124). Jon Bon Jovi, the famous 80s pop-rocker, made his claim during the time after the creation of the internet, when which the music industry had begun to decline. Given his role as a musician, he witnessed firsthand how the internet hurt the music industry. Although the benefits of the internet may seem abundant, digital music is not flawless. Despite being viewed by some as a positive addition to music, the current state of digital music limits the music industry’s ability to invest in new artists to keep the music industry alive.

All I can say from doing this research is to, for myself, pay closer attention and be aware of the shaping of our society through the way radio stations push certain songs and we interpret them. I feel as if with this information it can open up more room for investigation as far as learning how the payola procedures play out and how does radio become more dominant than the actual music industry who produces the music. With this piece of knowledge, I find myself wanting to reject the idea of radio being available to help us find new music, instead I see it as a way to promote certain artists and profit off of them without actually paying their songs because its good. These industries are continuing to push for consumerism when in reality it should be set up as a world of knowledge that teaches everyone through their lyrics and the information they put out. Its should not be this easy to influence someone to do the morally incorrect. The morality aspect of doing he right thing when it comes to their audience and it is all about who is paying the most to get themselves

Have you ever wanted to learn to play an instrument or to sing in a choir? Millions of students don’t have the opportunity to learn music at their schools and develop their talents due to budget cuts. In Chicago Public Schools 10% of teachers laid off taught art or music, one-hundred and five teachers were let go (Hambek, 1). A student that was raised in poverty can’t afford to pay for music classes outside of school. If that school doesn’t offer musical electives, that student wouldn’t be able to learn what they have always wanted to. Many students face this problem, they want to learn music but can’t because their schools have cut it to ‘fix’ their budget. Music electives should remain an opportunity for students in all schools; musical training

Nowadays radio stations and televisions are showing only mainstream, major label bands on their stations and channels. What people mostly do not know is there is another world of music out there for their listening: indie music. The reason people do not know about indie music is that these stations and channels will not make as much money from these smaller record labels as they would from the major labels that are Sony BMG, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group. Indie music is a co-culture of major label music but in its own right is a culture by itself on its own.

Needless to say, the society we live in has been greatly impacted and shaped by music and changes in popular culture, especially over the last number of decades; no matter what music one may be into, as said by H. Goodall in ‘Story of Music’ whether classical, rock, metal or pop, it can make us weep or dance, and reflects the times it was written in. It has delighted, challenged, comforted and excited us (H. Goodall- Story of Music). This almost reliance on music can be seen through the massive development of music playing devices of vinyl to the current IPhone and recent development of things such as Spotify and Apple Music, these are all things that have come about in recent years to the meet the demands of people and the music they want

Many people believe that the arts, specifically music programs, hold no beneficial value to students other than for an extracurricular activity. Others believe that having these programs within our schools, only takes away from instructional time. However, research has shown that music education, and exposure to music in general, provides great benefits and values to the adolescents that are involved in said programs (“Music Matters”). Participation in music programs promotes the advancement of academic scores and sets students on the path to success later in life. Furthermore, these programs, be it instrumental or vocal, provide an outlet for adolescents to express themselves and have truly lasting implications on their global development. Notwithstanding all of the pleasure and self-confidence gained through participation in music programs, music education may provide important benefits towards students’ academics by improving their concentration levels and cultivating higher order thinking skills that may increase academic achievement.

Music. It’s different to everyone, even if everyone happened to be listening to the same thing. There are health and emotional benefits that come with playing an instrument. It’s so important that every student gets a musical education because knowing an instrument is comparable to you exercising a muscle; music is exercising the brain! The auditory cortex is working hard to process the sound, while the nucleus accumbers, amygdala, and cerebellum are working hard to make you feel. Oh, and you know when you know your favorite part of the song is coming up? Well, that’s when your prefrontal cortex is being activated and is getting anxious (“This is Your Brain on Music” by Knowing Neurons). Being involved in music helps students do better in other subjects. Our brain works harder when we play music, and it increases IQ and improves spatial-temporal skills, which is when students can see elements that should go together, which improves math skills (PBS Parents, “The Benefits of Music Education”). Music affects everyone, reading this might help you realize the beauty of music, learn how it affected me meticulously, and other things about music education.