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THE EFFECT OF MUSIC MEDIUMS ON CULTURE PRESENTED BY: SHARON ZENG
MUSIC MEDIUMS IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES
MUSIC MEDIUMS WITH OUR DAILY TASKS
MUSIC MEDIUMS IN OUR FRIENDSHIPS
MUSIC MEDIUMS IN OUR ROMANCES
THE ARGUMENT
The evolution of personal listening devices have driven changes in how society listens to music, the diversity of music genres, and the composition and sound of mainstream music.
Three elements drive these changes:
1. Degree of choice in music selection. 2. Level of integration into daily life. 3. Production and distribution costs.
ROADMAP
TRANSISTOR RADIOS
CASSETTE TAPE PLAYERS (WALKMANS)
COMPACT DISC PLAYERS
MP3 PLAYERS (IPODS)
CONCLUSION
TRANSISTOR RADIO FEATURES
CHEAP & WIDESPREAD
HIGHLY PORTABLE
GENRE CHOICE, NOT SONG CHOICE
TRANSISTOR RADIO WAS AFFORDABLE FOR MANY
PORTABILITY ENABLED PERSONAL LISTENING
44” JUKEBOX
5” TRANSISTOR RADIO
16” RECORD PLAYER
LISTENERS TRUSTED LOCAL DJ’S FOR SONGS
I listened to him [Wolfman] every night for as long--for twelve years almost. I know him and it's personal…
“
” -- Curt Henderson, regarding a popular radio DJ, in American Graffiti (1973)
EFFECTS OF TRANSISTOR RADIOS DEGREE OF CHOICE IN MUSIC SELECTION:
LOW CHOICE HIGH CHOICE
TRANSISTOR RADIO: Trust DJ’s choice.
EFFECTS: - Less genres & diversity - Generational anthems with political undertones
LEVEL OF INTEGRATION INTO DAILY LIFE:
LOW INTEGRATION HIGH INTEGRATION
TRANSISTOR RADIO: Portable, but conspicuous music-listening.
EFFECTS: - Music-listening was a stand-alone activity - Listeners paid close attention to songs
ROADMAP
TRANSISTOR RADIOS
CASSETTE TAPE PLAYERS (WALKMANS)
COMPACT DISC PLAYERS
MP3 PLAYERS (IPODS)
CONCLUSION
CASSETTE TAPE PLAYER FEATURES
INTRODUCTION OF SONG CHOICE
HANDS-FREE LISTENING (HEADPHONES)
CHEAPER MUSIC PRODUCTION PROCESS
WALKMAN HELPED INTEGRATE MUSIC WITH LIFE
Walkmans in their inherent mobility are an icon of individual choice in consumer culture, permitting users to create their own soundworld through the spaces, places and timings of consumer culture…
“
” -- Michael Bull in Journal of Consumer Culture
TAPES MEANT LOW PRODUCTION COSTS
TASCAM’S PORTASTUDIO ALLOWED EASY, CHEAP, AND FAST RECORDING SOLUTIONS
EFFECTS OF CASSETTE TAPE PLAYERS DEGREE OF CHOICE IN MUSIC SELECTION:
LOW CHOICE HIGH CHOICE
TAPE PLAYERS: Create personal mixtapes with self-chosen songs.
EFFECTS: - Exploration of music leading to new genres
- Beginning to associate individual identity with music
MUSIC PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION COSTS:
LOW COSTS HIGH COSTS
TAPE PLAYERS: Low production costs.
EFFECTS: - Introduction of new music (punk)
LEVEL OF INTEGRATION INTO DAILY LIFE:
LOW INTEGRATION HIGH INTEGRATION
TAPE PLAYERS: Hands-free music-listening with headphones.
EFFECTS: - Popularity of music & exercise - Move towards multi-tasking
ROADMAP
TRANSISTOR RADIOS
CASSETTE TAPE PLAYERS (WALKMANS)
COMPACT DISC PLAYERS
MP3 PLAYERS (IPODS)
CONCLUSION
COMPACT DISC PLAYER FEATURES
INTRODUCTION OF DIGITAL FORMAT
TRACK SKIPPING
EFFECT OF CD PLAYERS DEGREE OF CHOICE IN MUSIC SELECTION:
LOW CHOICE HIGH CHOICE
CD PLAYERS: Create personal CD’s by selecting tracks.
MUSIC PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION COSTS:
LOW COSTS HIGH COSTS
CD PLAYERS: Low production costs & more features with digital sound editing.
ROADMAP
TRANSISTOR RADIOS
CASSETTE TAPE PLAYERS (WALKMANS)
COMPACT DISC PLAYERS
MP3 PLAYERS (IPODS)
CONCLUSION
MP3 PLAYER FEATURES
LARGER MUSIC LIBRARIES
CHOICE-ORIENTED INTERFACE
INCONSPICUOUS EARBUDS
CHOICE ENABLED DISCOVERY & DIVERSIFICATION
When I first joined the Grammy committee, there were 12 categories. Now there’s 108.
“ ” -- Chuck Rainey during PWR class visit.
MULTI-TASKING LEADS TO LESS ATTENTION
TOP BILLBOARD SONG IN 2009: BLACK EYED PEAS’ “BOOM BOOM POW”
LYRICAL ANALYSIS OF TOP SONG IN 2009:
LYRICS BECOME SECOND PRIORITY
TOP BILLBOARD SONG IN 1984: PRINCE’ “WHEN DOVES CRY”
LYRICAL ANALYSIS OF TOP SONG IN 1984:
EFFECT OF MP3 PLAYERS DEGREE OF CHOICE IN MUSIC SELECTION:
LOW CHOICE HIGH CHOICE
MP3 PLAYERS: Create multiple personal
playlists immediately.
EFFECTS: - Intensive diversification of music into many genres
- Dominance of single tracks over albums in digital downloads
MUSIC PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION COSTS:
LOW COSTS HIGH COSTS
MP3 PLAYERS: Low production costs & distribution costs.
EFFECTS: - Masses can produce & share music
LEVEL OF INTEGRATION INTO DAILY LIFE:
LOW INTEGRATION HIGH INTEGRATION
MP3 PLAYERS: Highly portable and
inconspicuous.
EFFECTS: - Rarely listen to music as a stand-alone activity
- Beat and melody move to foreground, lyrics to the back
ROADMAP
TRANSISTOR RADIOS
CASSETTE TAPE PLAYERS (WALKMANS)
COMPACT DISC PLAYERS
MP3 PLAYERS (IPODS)
CONCLUSION
PERSONAL MUSIC MEDIUMS ENABLED CHANGES
Lyrics are a large part of mainstream music.
Beats and melody greatly overshadow lyrics in importance.
COMPOSITION AND SOUND OF MAINSTREAM MUSIC:
12 Grammy categories. 108 Grammy categories.
DIVERSITY OF MUSIC GENRES:
Music-listening is a fully engaging, non-
passive activity.
Music-listening is well-integrated in our lives and done in conjunction
with daily tasks and exercise.
HOW SOCIETY LISTENS TO MUSIC:
FUTURE OF MUSIC MEDIUMS
DEGREE OF CHOICE IN MUSIC SELECTION:
LOW CHOICE HIGH CHOICE
MUSIC PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION COSTS:
LOW COSTS HIGH COSTS
LEVEL OF INTEGRATION INTO DAILY LIFE:
LOW INTEGRATION HIGH INTEGRATION
Shift in emphasis on music discovery rather than choice. Choosing favorite parts of songs rather than whole tracks: mash-ups.
Continued integration of music in our lives through phones.
Even lower production and distribution costs.
APPENDIX
MORE CHOICE MEANS MORE SINGLE TRACKS
In digital format, single track sales make up a greater portion of overall sales.
