Popular Music Revolution

Department of State” (Bailey 887). This made people fearful that they would be tried as Communists and led most to conform to a common societal standard. When the nation emerged from this era, teenagers sought to rebel against their parental authorities. They created everything from new styles of clothing to new styles Of music to promote their newfound individuality. The new style of music evolving at the time was called Rock and Roll. ‘Rock has been influenced by country music, by the blues, by classical music, by calypso, by traditional folk styles, and by a variety of other music conventions” (Bell ii).

This variety reflects the varied backgrounds of young people at the time. Early successes in this new music genre included Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, and Chuck Berry. This music only succeeded because the conditions in society and the opinions of the youth in that time period allowed it to succeed.

This music revolution is not unique. Similar revolutions will occur if and when the circumstances permit. Modern music is going this direction, but has not reached the point of a new genre as of yet because conditions in so-city have not allowed a radical change.One of the most obvious elements which separates rock music from previous forms of musical expression is a dominant rhythm accenting a strong beat.

Rhythm is defined as “a basic element of music concerned with the duration of tones and the stresses or accents placed upon them” (Columbia Encyclopedia). Rhythm, developed in the 1 12th century, was not a new phenomenon; however, previously, the only musical genre to place so much emphasis on rhythm was Rhythm and Blues, from which rock derived much of its sound patterns.To get enough protest from teens to start a music revolution, another major war must be fought. Conscription must be reinstated in the united States. Deaths of friends and family is usually enough to anger the population. Another factor that must be present is an overwhelming feeling of conformity. The early sass were a time when teens and adults all dressed in the same way, acted in the same way, and listened to the same music.

These conditions must be present for another musical revolution to occur.A major difference in rock music to the prior music of the time was the instruct- imitation. Rock and roll placed a heavy emphasis on the guitar as musical expression. Jazz musicians used the electric guitar frequently, but it became very widespread with rock music. The formula for a rock band became an attar, an electric bass guitar, and a drum set. The common instrumentation led to a common sound between different bands. While most rock songs sounded different from each other, the instrumentation led to a familiar feeling in the genre.

In the 0705, artists manipulated their sound more frequently in the recording studio to create distinct sounds. Pink Flood’s Darkies of the Moon album had a different sound than the generic rock formula. The trend toward electronics in the sass features bands such as The Prodigy and Orbital using sounds manipulated in recording studios by computers. The electric guitar itself has also evolved considerably. It is very common now to use multiple guitar effects in one song. The sound is distorted for a dif-efferent feel in the music.Different guitar styles have also evolved.

Reggae and ask are off-shoots of rock music which came from the need for a different sound. These styles accent the offbeat’s in the rhythm rather than the standard accentuation of the beat. The strings on the guitar are picked up rather than down, allowing the higher pitched strings to be played first. Most of these changes occurred because artists and listeners ere tired of conforming with society, they were hungry for a change so they took the initiative and oaf-effected the music themselves.All of this evolution in instrumentation amounts to the fact that the elements for another music revolution do exist, but there must be a catalyst for change to bring them into effect. Many of the elements for a new musical revolution are present in society and the music industry. Different types of instrumentation and playing styles are becoming more popular with artists and listeners alike.

This will eventually allow for a complete change in the sound of music heard y the public. The lyrics of modern songs indicate unruliness and anger among musicians.This indicates that the attitudes exist and it is possible that out of this overwhelming desire to resist authority, new songs will be written in new styles that may eventually lead to a new genre. The feeling that does not exist is the feeling that all citizens are the same and that they are conforming to societal standards. With increase-ins censorship of the Internet and privacy being infringed upon with new anti-terrorist laws, this feeling may begin to take hold of the nation. It IS not within the foreseeable, however, because these issues do not affect most of the population.Music is a medium of expression for all people, so the people’s music must speak to the people.

Smaller changes have been made to rock music in the last forty-five years. If this genre is so malleable, then change must come frequently. Once the elements are in place, music will undergo a change. Rock music evolved out of conditions in society. If these conditions exist again, another music revolution will occur. Many of the elements are already in place, it is only a matter of time before the change.