Music : The Art Of Music

The 1960’s were arguably the most influential years in American music’s history. The music helped connect people of all races, whom enjoyed visiting jazz-clubs in the early to mid-60s, to listen to the music and poetry performed by African-Americans. Much of the music from the 1960s also led to the creation and popularization of new genres and subgenres, such as rock-and-roll. These new music styles influenced the lifestyles of a large majority of Americans, particularly teenagers and young-adults, who mimicked the lifestyles of many stars of the time.

The decade of the 1960s can be said to be a subversion of the United States. From the civil rights movements, anti-Vietnam war demonstration, Kennedy’s presidency, to the assassination of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, the impact of the surging social movements and political turmoils to the American society is extremely far-reaching. There has been a lot of researches on the various social movements in this period. However, people 's attention seems to be limited to another important cultural phenomenon of this period, that is the prosperity of rock & roll. This paper is intended to analyze the

From the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Lives Matter movement, music continue to be the expression of all that is contained in the movement. It shows the struggles, the passions, the history of the movements. It gives hope, brightens the day, rallies, and unifies the people of movements.

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.

The mid 1960s were an important era not only musically, but also historically. Sixties America seemed promising to begin with as ‘many Americans believed they were standing at the dawn of the golden age’ (History.com Staff, 2010). The young and confident John F. Kennedy was elected as The President of the United States, most of who’s campaign was based on arbitrating inequality and injustice in the U.S. The Civil Rights Movement was initiated

Music has been a template for expression since early man, it reaches the depths of a person’s soul by seeking out emotions. In society music plays a major role in the development of historical events, and musicians can be at the center of this due to their fan following. Some musicians just play to make money, while others play to make a statement. The ones that play to make a statement influence people, they also manage to give the people a voice that can be resonated throughout society. During the 1960’s this was a pivotal point for musicians to make a political statement, be it Civil Rights or the Vietnam War. A few of the artists that made political statements during this era would be Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and James Brown; however, there are many more artist who spoke their minds through their music. James Brown was influential in the Civil Rights movement by influencing the Black community through his music. Browns music offered pride, inspiration, and defiance.

Musicians of all genres have spoken up against the racial inequality that is happening in America and throughout the world. These are the voices that have lived and witnessed injustice based solely on their race and skin color. As a result, musicians have deep emotional ties that have affected the lyrics and tones that artists take on in hopes to send a message. This musical revolution is nothing new, it has been around since the beginning of racial oppression as a means of optimism, but now, music can help spread the message of racial oppression. This message is spread in hopes that the views and opinions of society are altered and that future generations learn from mistakes of the

There are many key contributing factors to the Civil Rights Movement which have been thoroughly covered however, the influence of music seems to be an aspect that is far less developed. In order to assess just how significant music really was it is crucial to analyse its widespread significance, the nature of its appeal and key role models that contributed to its involvement within the Civil Rights Movement during the period 1962-1969, in order to detect just how influential it really was. Music is an expression of emotion so it is fair to say that music may have made a contribution to the Civil Rights Movement notably in the duration of 1962-1968 as the Civil Rights Movement proved to be at its highest peak especially following the March on Washington 1963[1]. A time when emotions were running high and the African American people needed an outlet for their emotion, music was there to meet their needs. It inspired the people to have the courage to make a stand against the discrimination placed upon them from a society dictated by whites.

The 1960’s was one of the most controversial decades in American history because of not only the Vietnam War, but there was an outbreak of protests involving civil and social conditions all across college campuses. These protests have been taken to the extent where people either have died or have been seriously injured. However, during the 1960’s, America saw a popular form of art known as protest music, which responded to the social turmoil of that era, from the civil rights movement to the war in Vietnam. A veritable pantheon of musicians, such as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan sang their songs to encourage union organizers to protest the inequities of their time, creating a diverse variety of popular

As with every decade, the 1960s were a tumultuous time filled with various social issues affecting a wide array of social groups. African Americans endlessly fought for their rights as a human being, women tried to achieve the same opportunities as men and dismantle workplace inequality, and families fought for their loved ones to come back from war. In their development, these diverse issues seem unrelated, but was eventually unified and blanketed as “social issues”. The merging, or convergence of these social issues was a direct result of a myriad of musical artists who perpetuated their opinions and feelings to all of America. These artists took the various “I’s” of social issues and were able to put them together and form a conglomeration, turning those “I’s” into “we.”

Although, many people in the 1960s believed that Rock ‘n’ Roll music wreaked havoc on society more than it brought people together, and rejected and disrupted established society, this “protest” rock and R&B music from the 1960s proved to be one of the few ways for the younger generation to describe, address, and improve upon what seemed to be their own downward spiraling social conditions, from the Vietnam war to the Civil Rights Protests. With the constant changes in society, it would be hard for the younger generations to cope with what their parents could not help them understand. Throughout the sixties we will see how music illustrated people’s

“Music and social movements have been widely celebrated as two catalysts that can elevate the human condition by lifting spirits and undermining subordination” (Reds 10). The 1960s were a time in American history that by many can be described as chaotic. A time in history where folk music was revived, also called contemporary folk, and seeked to challenge the racial boundaries in America. A time in which Pop and Rock music were influenced by contemporary folk and revealed the discontent of the young American generation towards the Vietnam war, established institutions, and middle class values. A time where music channeled the social movements taking place in America. Music of this period represents a unique connection between music and

Music is one of the most popular ways of expression and has been for generations. It makes us want to dance, inspires, soothes, relaxes, and sometimes tells us a story. Music is something the whole world shares and has brought together different kinds of people. However, there has been a question on whether some music has affected society negatively and crossed the line with some of its lyrics, content, and the persona of the artists. Certain music has been boycotted and even banned in the U.S. Pro-censorship supporters say that music is something that can deeply affect our society especially children who should not have to be subjected to things like violence, sex, drugs, or hate. However, being that music is a form of expression,

On the highway there is always noise. The sound of cars honking and rushing by is all I can hear. I hit the FM button on my radio. When the radio comes on, I hear a song I have never heard before. Really enjoying it, I sing along and jam out to it. The music is the soundtrack to my drive. It blocks out the sound of the highway winds and cars driving by. An hour later, I get back into my car and hear the same song. I sing along but do not jam as enthusiastically this time. After hearing that same song more than ten times in a week, I feel as if I am a movie character who is stuck in the same scene singing the same song. I am tired of hearing the instrumental of the song; I get bored of singing the melody I once enjoyed. I flip through different radio stations and hear the same old songs I always hear. Giving up on the radio, I hook up my phone to my car with Bluetooth and play my own music. I open up Spotify and hit play. Spotify makes a playlist that plays songs it thinks you will like based on what you have listened to in the past. Fresh melodies flood my car; fresh harmonies flow through my speakers. Song after song, I hear something I have never heard before. Like a lot of people, I do not buy my music. I listen to it through music streaming companies like Spotify. Streaming companies are nice because you can listen to almost any song or album for free. It saves a lot of money because songs are usually $1.29 and albums are around $12.99. This has become an

21st century is very progressive in creative entertainment industry as movie, music and art in general. For the past few centuries it has evolved and developed to the completely new level, where to be as an artist is a significant job. Although, artists have never been on their own, they always had a person who has been “looking after” them, these days it is called manager or producer. According to the Kazi Uddin, there are only 3 recording major labels these days : Warner Music, Sony Music and Universal Music Group. Warner music controls 19% percent of the industry, Sony music manages 34% and Universal music owns 37%, the rest 10% is running by the independent “indie” labels. Apart from that, major labels are having divisions into a