Music Sociological Analysis

Art has undoubtedly become a decisive aspect of our culture; embedded in the way we learn and grow on a daily basis. Art forms such as music, television and dance dominate our society as an outlet of freedom of speech for humanity. The evolution of music has rapidly exceeded its original classifications, developing new genres with greater appeal to an audience, hence its influence on society has expedited. In recent times, lyrics (specifically rap lyrics) have been introduced into the court room as a form of documented confessional evidence, evidently challenging law’s authoritative nature. This essay will closely follow the genre of rap and its relationship with law, through cases based in the United States of America (USA). In addition, the trial of Simon Bikindi in Rwanda and Smith v The Queen will be used to form an acute analysis on the influencing factors of relevance, identity, freedom of speech and current constitutional law.

What is music? Denotatively speaking, music is sounds combined in such a way to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. Music to me is something that I rely on to get me through everything, it is the thing that has shaped me into the person I am today. But, if I asked you how many symphonies Beethoven had written, could you tell me? To be blunt, probably not. Not only is this a problem with people today, it is a recurring problem with our youth. In Daniel Felsenfeld’s essay “Rebel Music,” he explains the fault in our youth when it comes to being musically cultured. Throughout his essay he acknowledges how he was a stereotypical teenager who just listened to whatever was on KROQ. However, he also talks about how he changed and cultured himself, unlike all of his peers. In his essay, Felsenfeld proves his message that younger generations are musically uncultured through his use of allusions, connotative diction, and critical tone.

Popular music is often one of the best lenses we have through which to view our own cultural orientation. Many of the artistic and experimental shifts in popular music have mirrored changes in our own society. For instance, the emergence of Elvis Presley as a public figure would signal the start of a sexual revolution and the growth in visibility of a rebellious youth culture. Similarly, the folk and psychedelic music of the 1960s was closely entangled with the Civil Rights, anti-war and social protest movements. In this regard, we can view popular music as an artifact through which to better understand the time and place in which it is produced. In light of this, the state of popular music today may suggest troubling things about our society.

Having access to music education partnered with the opportunity to learn how to play musical instruments is a rare gift not often found in communities that are underserved. Because of partners and donors like you, Chicago House is able to provide kids with a wealth of resources that assists them in their exploration of music and instruments. It’s a beautiful gift to give, especially to kids that are starving for the chance to break free of their given identities and learn more about themselves. Kids like Milat.

Music is everywhere in society today – most people listen to music while they work1, or turn on the radio in the car, and of course, most popular pubs will have a live band playing on busy nights. Music permeates our everyday lives, both the individual and the collective. Despite this, music and the arts are derided as “not contributing to society” by many people. Music is viewed as a hobby – something to engage in, but not worth pursuing as an end goal. Like many other creative industries, its cultural and social importance is side-lined in favor of industries that produce more concrete societal contributions.

New social divides originate from the look that people want to articulate, an image that is projected from the vogue, images which may coincide with a certain way of life. It was revealed in a recent academic journal that listening to certain genre of music can influence the way we consume (Na 2013). Therefore the performers of these genres and other forms of media have some bearing on the way we look and act. Making us feel like we could be that one step closer to the standard of living we desire and giving us a sense of belonging.

Music has coexisted with humanity and has served its purpose beyond what it was meant for. From Neanderthals to Coldplay, music has reconstructed itself and the people listening to it. Music as a variable, does not discriminate people by their race or religion, but rather by the various genres. These preferences are not a trait you are born with, but rather a composition of several internal and peripheral factors. Thus, personality, emotional associations, and contemporary culture are intrinsic determinants in one’s musical taste.

According to Mannheim, social control is method where society ventures to influence people's behavior to preserve social order. For society to progress there must be control over the people to prevent deviation or cause a threat to society (Sociologyguide.com, 2015). Different types of music create different emotions in people. Dark gothic songs pull out the emotion of anger, frustration and violence, whilst politically fueled music make people become active for a cause. In this paper, I will discuss how pop music is being used as a tool of social control.

(4) You could argue that Bill Cosby is right when he says, “Nothing separates the generations more than music.” It takes a little more than music to separate the generations, but music does play an important part. History keeps rolling along while culture and music are continuously changing. For example, people who remember the Convention of 1972 may get a good laugh when listing to Dickie Goodman’s parody “Convention 72”. But people who don’t remember or weren’t even born yet, may have trouble understanding the jokes made without help.

Why Music Matters by David Hesmondhalgh  Why Music Matters, book writing by David Hesmondhalgh, published by Wiley Blackwell. Hesmondhalgh is a professor of media and culture. In this particular book, Hesmondhalgh reflects on the fundamental argument of ‘why music matters’ by studying music through various concepts and approaches to make a better understanding of why music is important in society and how it enhances people’s lives as well as investigating the social and political meaning of music in the modern society. David Hesmondhalgh conveys a historical and sociological process in understanding music in relation to social power difference. He investigates the importance of art and culture in the modern world, aspects of wider problems

The so called “music” of today is absolutely horrid! It’s all filled with sex, drugs, violence, and politics. It’s rotting our children’s brains and society along with it. There are things in todays’ music that would make my grandmother cry.

In this essay, I am going to analyse and compare two different contrasting genres of music, and the social impacts that they have had on their specific audiences. I will be using the Disco and Heavy Metal genres in this essay.

Encompassed by warm, leather seats, I hummed along to the soothing melody of “Both Sides Now.” My parents’ music had been ingrained in my brain since infancy. Elvis Costello, John Denver, and Kenny Loggins were originally introduced as devices to encourage naps on long car rides. But soon, these melodious tunes became favorites.

My answer to the first question as to whether I believe that a present day audience would understand or appreciate a popular song or melody that was created in a future time, I would have to say maybe because it would all depend on the song. Would the songs melodies/rhyme be popular, if the song included lyrics, would those lyrics refer to events that haven’t occurred yet therefore not be understood by the audience? There would also definitely be a difference in what would be considered a social norm so that could definitely influence the listeners’ appreciation of the song.

The genre of music known as Rhythm and Blues (R&B) came to the forefront of the music world in the mid-1950 's. This genre of music still incorporated the tempo and the soulful sound of the blues, however, it placed more emphasis on the lyrical aspect of the songs and less on the instrumental aspect. As time went on R&B began to shape until reaching its most perfect form in the 1990’s. This decade ushered in musical acts such as Boyz II Men, Aaliyah, Keith Sweat, Maxwell, and Erykah Badu. Music does a good job of influencing the society that surrounds it. The R&B of the 1990’s specifically influenced the black community by promoting the ideologies that are already deeply hidden within the culture. Ideologies such as passionate love, self-expression through fashion, family connectedness and emotional vulnerability are all topics that are dissected through this genre of music. Before 1990’s R&B, people within the black community conformed to the things that society thought to be acceptable for people of color. That all changed when this new era was ushered in, people began to march to the beat of their own drums. Although 90’s music is a thing of the past, the impact that it has made in regards to black culture can still be seen today in the form of new artists, social issues, and current trends.