Week 10 - Mix Mag Magazine Analysis

Mix Mag is a magazine that focuses on the different dance music that features around the world. This is demonstrated instantly by the front cover being smothered in dance acts. The magazine itself is very specific in it’s audience and is written in a way that will connect with their target audience. In this case, young party animals and raver’s. Theodore Peterson believes that the most important factor of the rise of modern day magazine was the growth of advertising and in this magazine there are large amounts of adverts promoting different dance acts on the scene. Seeing as this magazine is written for a specific target audience, the adverts all revolve around the theme of dance, promoting renowned events that are known across Europe like Gatecrasher and Cremefields. This magazine seems to be written for men but this does not mean that women will not find the magazine interesting and readable. This magazine will never compete with magazines like NME because it is so specialised in one genre but for the subscribers, the magazine puts them in the know and informs them of what is happening on the dance circuit and due to this, the magazine is extremely good in what it does!

Week 9 - Are blackness and whiteness useful concepts in the study of popular music?

It is common fact that different types of music are followed predominantly by different ethnicities. Conventionally, colour does have an impact on different types of music but these conventions of different genres of music are constantly being challenged. The dominance of acts like Eminem and Westwood on the rap scene is proof on it’s own that although rap is mainly followed by black people, there is always room for other races to produce their music in the same genre. Alternatively, like rap, indie music has a very large white following and it is rare to see black acts and when performers like Kele Okereke (lead singer of Bloc Party) enter the frey, the same concepts arise but the same outcome is achieved… successful music. Different types of music will always be associated with different cultures but the fact that the colour of skin can be a factor in making an act stand out in a certain field can only be a good thing for the music industry!

Week 8 - Are subcultures a sign of revolt or an expression of style?

In modern day culture, different approaches are taken when growing up in teenage life. The different subcultures that are present this very day can be seen as expressions of style but I believe that there is more to these images than just ‘style’. I believe the upbringing of a child is pivotal in how a teenager develops. Another huge factor is the groups in which certain children mingle with during education. Certain cultures like the ‘chav’ or the ‘goth’ for example, circle in certain crowds in order to stand out and revolt against laws. All these subcultures have different ways of revolting. Whether it be taking drugs, drinking or vandalizing, all are in it to do wrong for the thrill. I think that being part of a subculture is always going to have different varieties of revolt but every subculture has a different style. I believe the style that every subculture obtains is merely a way of portraying what one is like and will come hand in hand with the morals and beliefs that a specific culture possesses. Revolt and style will always be linked together whatever culture you look at!

Week 7 -Can popular music be a genuine force for political change?

It is fairly clear that music has brought light upon many aspects of life that many people around the world were not aware of. The obvious methods that have been very successful are the likes of Band Aid and live Live 8, which both raise huge awareness for the third world. Although these worldwide events make a huge sum of money for starving Africans, the fact remains that the politics remain the same and the only outcome of the popular music is the money produced and the awareness raised. Another example of music helping out the needy is when U2 and Greenday released the Saints are Coming in a bid to raise money for the victims of the Hurricane Katrina incident. The fact of the matter is, music is a force in raising awareness of certain aspects of the modern day world but it will never affect politics in a major way. It will only change the opinions of the public!

Week 6 - Is Digital Rights Management the best way to save the music industry?

At present, illegal downloads are very accessible and many of today’s youth and others take advantage of this fact. The DRM have limited resources in keeping illegal downloads under wraps. This is not necessarily a bad situation however. Many illegal downloads are of very poor quality meaning that these downloads could act as a promotion for a specific song to be legally downloaded for better quality. The question remains…does the music industry need saving? It is already unbelievably successful so is it affected by illegal downloads. The big issue about Radiohead’s first number 1 would suggest that it does have an influence. I believe that since this incident in 2000, the influence of illegal downloads has decreased substantially and this incident simply occurred because illegal downloads were a new phenomenon. I believe that the DRM has got the prefect balance as illegal downloads are now part of music and if it was completely restricted it would needlessly take away a popular part of music!

Week 5 - Can Popular music ever really be unplugged?

It is hard to imagine what modern day music would be like without the technology that has progressed over the last hundred years. Paul Theberge insisted that without electronic technology, 21st century pop music is unthinkable and I believe you would struggle to find many people who disagree with this belief. Since the 1950’s, performers have been able to fill virtually any size venue with their sounds. Without technologies such as amplifiers and powerful speakers, artists would be limited in their performances. Even when recording sounds nowadays, the sound of instruments are modified to improve the sound for the audience through the use of software on computers. The question remains, what actually classifies as unplugged? In my opinion, unplugged refers to a act of essential purity and an acoustic performance on a guitar would constitute this. I think music can be unplugged as long as there is no infringement through electronic technology. Unplugged music is just another genre and should be cherished as it is pure!

Week 4 - What is World Music and Why does it exist?

There are many different interpretations around the globe of what ‘world music’ is classified as. Many would consider anything foreign as world music, whereas wealthier countries that are exposed to commercial music could see rare breeds of music as this genre. Music such as Spanish Salsa, African tribal music or any type of native brand is only seen as world music in our eyes because of it’s unique origin and because of the way our beliefs have evolved, this will always remain the same. In this country, world music has become a term that describes cultural music from different backgrounds that is not as accessible. I believe the existence of this music is to promote different cultures and their sounds without the financial motive and this can only be a good thing! Hence, links with Oxfam on CD’s such as Think Global: Acoustic Brazil. The question remains; is Britain’s interpretations of world music a right one? I believe that any song has the potential of being world music simply because it is the sound of someone’s specific culture and the nations beliefs are to narrow-minded in this instance.

Commodity or art form?

Is popular music a commodity or an art form?

Many people believe that music is produced for one reason and one reason only... to make money but the fact is, everybody is different. Admittedly, there are people out there who do create music solely for the money but there are others that thrive on creating music. Adorno firmly believes pop music is a commodity and that pseudo individualisation and interchangability in songs are put in place to disguise the music’s similarities. To a degree this is true but these beliefs can be compared to any medium. For example, Duchamp’s adaptation of the Mona Lisa. Although this masterpiece had already been created, it is still being portrayed in a different light and is symbolising Duchamp’s views. Art can be defined as a product of human creativity. The moment music is created, in my opinion, it is art. Music is a medium created by humans in an artistic manner and although it can be used directly for money purposes, all music remains as art. The expressing of a person through the form of music. These performers aren’t called artists for nothing!

Richard A. Peterson

What are the strengths and weaknesses of Peterson’s ‘production of culture’ approach, to the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Richard A. Petersons beliefs of the evolution of Rock ‘n’ Roll are very well established but there are gaps in his theory. He does talk firmly about the genre taking over swing and growing in a very short space of time after World War I and how the use of radio pushed the market in the right direction which forms a strong point. In my opinion, he leaves many other different angles out whilst making his point. He basically puts the development of Rock music down to the development of television and the change in the use of radio and doesn’t really express himself on many other possibilities. He fails to go into depth on key elements like how pivotal acts like Elvis Presley actually were in promoting the newly found genre of music. Although his theory is very strong, I think his beliefs are slightly one dimensional and could involve slightly more on the issue of culture. For instance, how teenagers at the time were looking for rebellious material and culture was crying out for ‘Rock’.