Music Taste And Its Effect On Your Own Image

Music is often considered “the universal language.” Throughout, history it has symbolized love, brought people together, and has been the cornerstone of many lives. In the 1950s, a new form of music entered American mass culture that drastically changed the culture of the United States (U.S.): rock music. In the U.S., it began as Rock ‘n’ Roll, a originally “black” music genre that was then taken and promulgated by white Americans. Post WWII, many Americans—especially teenagers—struggled with the newfound societal conformity and normalcy, and rock provided them a form of retaliation. From its beginning, Rock united the younger generation of Americans, stirring up a sense of community amongst teenagers and troubling many adults by their actions—heightening

Music has had an influence on society from the very beginning of musical history. The message portrayed in each genre is based on what society perceives and wants to listen. Musicians often times produce music that sells and this sometimes are only beneficial to their pockets and in turn creates havoc in society. People interpret music differently and this causes them to react a certain way to different

People listen to music for a variety of reasons. Some listen to music to relax in which it serves as a sort of escape from everyday life, some because they are a fan and follow a certain artist, and others because they can relate the lyrics to their own personal experiences. Whichever the case may be, music has and continues to serve an important role in people’s lives.

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.

What is the purpose of music in society? Foremost, in layman terms, music is just sounds. However, individuals then use these sounds as a medium in order to spread certain ideas and emotions across society. Naturally over time different types of music become associated with different communities; thus, this identification creates an overgeneralized interpretation of who these communities are and what they stand for. One prime example is the stereotype that jazz and swing was the music of the African Americans in 20th century Los Angeles. Even though it may be true, the stereotype does not give an answer as to why or how jazz and swing became to be known as “black music”. In order to answer these questions, it is imperative to know what conditions

Some may say music is just music; a song is just a song. However, music plays an enormous role in our psychology, because a single song has the ability to bring about many kinds of thoughts and emotions in the listener. Music is subtly one of the main factors in which people identify with certain groups and establish their belonging in society. It shapes people’s perspectives on how the world functions and the roles they play within it. Music can function the same way in a culture; it can reflect many of the culture’s values and ideologies. Music can have many effects on culture and the people’s idea of who they think they are within that culture. Music can serve in a way that promotes cultural identity and pride, yet it could also play a

The impact that music has on individuals lives varies greatly from person to person and often provides a unique lifestyle to each individual. An author by the name Oliver Sacks talks about the unique cases that he has dealt with in the past in his writings. The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat and “Brainworms, Sticky Music, and Catchy Tunes” from Musicophilia are two articles written by Oliver Sacks, which show the relationship that music has on the mind and how music can change how a person perceives reality. The human mind is a complex machine and yet there is something about music that transforms a person’s thought process completely.

Music is a special art form that has been used to mark special occasions in our lives at a global level, national level and even at community and individual levels. It is often used as a source of entertainment but music holds very great power. Psychologists also say that the music a person listens to can greatly influence his or her personality6. Such a powerful tool should be used with great care and anyone trying to uphold music through vices should be stopped. Otis was able to surpass the troubles of racism and segregation and he wrote music that played a part in unifying the black Americans and the whites. We should follow this great emulate this example and use music to break social barriers in the

In addition, some of the messages portrayed by rock artists go against social conduct. Nevertheless, others believe that it is immoral to advocate discrimination of any type of artistic expression. A compromise can be made based on the concept of the power of choice. Moreover, some are under the impression that it is up to the listener to decide what to listen to. If a particular kind of music generates negative affects on the listener in terms of their attitude and social conduct, as proposed by the opposition of rock’s influence,

The reasons people choose to identify with certain genres of music are variable, but many are rooted in exposure through family. The age at which children are introduced to music is also variable in relation to one’s ‘family cultural formation.’ Turino writes about music as an identity marker multiple times throughout Music as a Social Life, and in both of these quotes explores why people are called to certain genres and how they behave within them. He states that early and extensive exposure to, and participation in a style will give individuals “the habits needed to perform [] in culturally appropriate ways,” ergo making them feel more comfortable within a musical style. But the comfortability isn’t all that matters; people are judged according

While many people would easily agree that music is an art form that comes from the emotional complexity and passions of human beings, Aristotle’s truth that “music that rouses ignoble passions distorts a person's character” is debatable. The claim that “the wrong kind of music makes the wrong kind of person, and the right kind tends to make the right kind of person” is a paradoxical statement that changes meaning and credibility depending on the reader’s perspective. While morality has been an integral part of religious music throughout history, there is no direct correlation that a person’s listening choices reflect their personal belief structures or that the mental health or character of the listener is defined by their choice of music

Popular Culture Essay Music has long been an expression of cultures and an indicator of the multi-cultural nature around the world. It’s common purpose to bring people together and affecting society by the type of music people listen to and which emotions they are feeling at that time. Music was a powerful cultural force in the 1960’s. It is evident that the social climate of this time period shaped music. It was no surprise that there were important generational, racial, gender, class, regional and ideological differences, and these included bands and their audiences and within the entertainment industry it’s self-deep social tensions were shared by all.

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.

Let's take rap. Some kids who like rap talk like rappers, dress like rappers, eat like rappers, and treat women like rappers treat women. Is it because they're influenced by what they see on TV or hear on their favourite rap artist's album?” Glen Chiacchieri makes it clear that there are many aspects of culture that are dependent on Music, and that music has been, and that the way people lived there lives are affected by music and popular culture.