During the past, different cultures understandably had unique styles of music. These were used and enjoyed by their respective cultures, and remained relatively unknown and unrecognised in other countries. An example of this is 'Blues' music, which originated in the deep south of the United States in the late 19th century. However, it wasn't until around the early 1920's when this style, along with many other styles of music became popular, and not only in their native counties.
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| Ray Charles Robinson - Voted the most influential blues musician by The Daily Telegraph |
This coincides with a post-traditional movement known as 'modernity', which is defined by Chris Barker as the movement marked by the move from feudalism toward capitalism, industrialization and the nation-state (2005, p. 444). I prefer Giddens' more simple summary of the term, stating modernity is a society of technical innovation unlike any preceding culture, focusing on the future rather than the past (1998, p. 94).
This 'modernism', along with 'post-modernism' are the terms which describe the drastic advancements during this time, which consequently fuelled the globalisation machine.
Our world has since turned into a 'global-society', which means that there is an increased interconnectedness between people, resulting in a single-world society. This concept can explain the way in which music has travelled and transformed over the years.
Simple things which we take for granted such as traditional radios, all the way through to modern digital recording have played a role in the globalisation of music. Methods of distribution advanced, increasing accessibility and forever changed the geography of music. Using the 'blues' example, we can see the impact it had on other forms of music such as rock and roll, jazz and popular music of today.
What is the blues?
Music is a big part of mine, and most people's lives. Everyone has a favourite style, era and genre, often reflecting their identity. Although the question of 'how' rarely comes up in our busy, contemporary lifestyles, we can thank modernism and globalisation for what comes out of our headphones today.
References:
Barker, Chris. 2005. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice, SAGE, London.
Giddens, A & Pierson, C 1998, Conversations with Anthony Giddens: Making Sense of Modernity, Stanford University Press, California.
Picture:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/9617952/30-key-blues-musicians-in-pictures.html#?frame=2369292
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAt0L5TGuEY
Hey Brody,
ReplyDeleteI like your take on Musical Modernism and I think that title is a good way to draw in the audience. I think you did a great job of developing your argument throughout the post with lots of relevant examples. Your use of the Blues as an example is really relevant and I think most readers would be able to relate to that. The use of links means allows us to understand it though, even if we don't initially understand the example. I think though that with your images/links you need to provide the source.
Katelyn