After a small hiatus, I am back to blogging. I decided to take a break to do my other more time consuming job of science, yay!
However, while data-mining for my research, I began to think about the state of music today. Essentially, there are SO many bands, musical styles, and fads that come and go very quickly. You are essentially defined by what you listen to. In conversations, people tend to ask "who do you listen to" and the overlap tends to show similar personality traits, age, and background. How did we get here?
During the dawn of rock-and-roll, there was limited access to both recording studios and national exposure. The Ed Sullivan show was a platform to expose the average American viewer to bands such as the Doors, Beatles, and Rolling Stones. Music's transportation was also much more limited due to being on vinyl.
As technology progressed inside the studio and out, the cost for recording and exposure plummeted. The a-track, tape cassette, and compact disc revolutionized the way music could be stored and transported. Listening to your favorite bands moved from your bedroom to the street. You could also broadcast to the world what you listened to via boomboxes. More radio stations came online allowing a diversification in the interest of the listener. Communities of listeners could be established with the same taste.
Additionally, some artists began to explore unique sounds to gain an edge (Brian Eno with ambient, the synth revolution) while others stuck to formulas to seek pop star fame. Thus, subclasses of certain genres hit.
Two of the most important factors that have propelled the music industry to where it is today is the dropping cost of quality recordings and the ability to mass distribute a song without a major record label contract. Enter the era of the MP3. Although the roots of indie recording stretches way back (the Pixies, Smiths, etc.), the number, diversity, and popularity of independent and main-stream post-independent bands is due to the digitalization of music. Allowing music to be compressed in an easily stored, listened to, and transported file essentially broke open the music scene.
Just some evolutionary thoughts on music for you today. I may follow this post up later with some statistical analysis, because that is the frame of mind I am in!
