Conformity in music
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Conformity in music
- Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
- The admin formerly known as Scott
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Music wouldn't be useful if it didn't play on biologically evolved instincts and neurological features. At least in the recent history of our species, music was often a method of organizing. Anyone can easily see how the use of beats and loud repeating sounds would be an effective way at organizing a group. In ancient tribal days, consider war music, hunting party ritual music or even a big bell used to alert a small village of an invasion. In biological terms lacking the addition of learned human sophistication, consider mating calls by musical creatures or similar rhythmic sounds made that get a group of animals in a pack or such to do something.
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- wanabe
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Music(sounds) is a form of communication as has been previously asserted. In this manner, listening to a certain kind of music helps you communicate with others that listen to the same kind music.
I agree with this assertion, adding only that we don not all react the same; to the same sound. ex: some people like those 'annoying' background drum beats in dramas and documentaries.There exists objective evidence that sounds, especially musical(ordered) sounds affect our bodily functions such as brain waves, blood pressure and heart rate.
- pjkeeley
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- Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
- The admin formerly known as Scott
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"The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master."
I believe spiritual freedom (a.k.a. self-discipline) manifests as bravery, confidence, grace, honesty, love, and inner peace.
- Stirling
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What am I to say, though? A classical pianist and composer in trainingmy whole eighteen years, I have little understanding for what the popular genre represents for our modern life. I, too, if I ever get the chance, will be famous in obscurity, holding hands with Jay. I suppose I should look into writing for movies. And that is the best a classical musician can do to become known. And my bitterness rambles on...
"By a sarcasm of law and phrase they were freemen." - Mark Twain
- wanabe
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I agree, but a person who wants to seek out new music that does not conform to mainstream tastes can easily do so via the internet.
Stirling,
Can't you write music for, guitar perhaps, and become known that way by the main stream. Then when you become popular release some classical music.
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There seems to be this undercurrent that conformity in music is inherently bad. It's all art regardless; whether one thinks it's good or bad. You either like it or you don't. There is no point in judging one piece of art against another. It's art, it's for enjoyment, not competition. If competition is what makes it enjoyable to a person however more power to them. If that is the case though, popularity may be the best marker for the talent of an artist.
- DeathByThought
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Adorno and Horkheimer would explain this phenomena as the mass production of popular culture. It's probably caused by all the tricks capitalism and the progress of technology (and how capitalism uses it to its advantage) have up their sleeves.
But why conform? Everyone has the free will to choose what to listen to and with a bit of effort, it's not hard to find non-mainstream different kinds of music. Maybe it's not conforming but tolerating all this pop stuff that comes from radio and tv. I'm just tolerating what my peers are letting me hear but secretly everyone is listening to alternative and classical music when they are alone. Mainstream music is just a game we play in public.
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