Concert List

What is ‘pop music?’ Where did this distinction arise and what is it is purpose? If it has a purpose, who does it serve?

On close examination, you see that it is the way society absorbs a thing; the way the tiger is defanged. It is another useful illusion from society’s toolbox of illusions. All through my school years, I’d to put up with this prattle about ‘ significant music,’ and ‘pop music.’ Oh sure, I bought into it a bit, at first. But one only has to question the status quo.

1st of all, all of us all know what it means, this business of ‘pop music’ and ‘ significant music.’ It depends a lot on what side of the fence you’re sitting on, of course. If you’re a ‘ significant performer,’ ‘ significant music’ is ‘ wonderful,’ and ‘pop’ music is ‘bad.’ Of course all of us all know that ‘ significant music’ will make you no resources. Why? Because it is ‘ wonderful,’ of course, and the majority of people do not know about ‘ wonderful.’ They only pay for music that is ‘bad.’

Now to be fair, if you’re on the other side of this specific fence, ‘ serious music’ is ‘boring,’ ( that’s bad) and pop music is ‘cool.’ ( That is ‘ wonderful ‘). Also, this historically speaking, has tended to be ‘radical’ and ‘revolutionary.’

‘Serious music?’ Part of the establishment.

It is necessary to reflect on the political demographics implied by these distinctions in music. They are fairly undeniable, when you avoid to think about it, but it is exhilarating that the majority individuals toss these distinctions about in the absence of a second thought. From these two easy musical types, you may easily build up profiles of the listener’s politics, religion, average income and so on and so on. individuals do plot these demographics. Not the listeners, but the individuals who are in the business of sales and marketing.

Nonetheless, as you might suspect, all these demographics are bound and held in place by belief systems that are spun on half truths, exaggeration and out right fantasy.

Even ‘ significant ‘ artists have allowed themselves to be saddled with ridiculous myths and caricature profiles of past composers, much to their personal detriment and decline of the tradition. Many of these folks, who should know better, have been content with whatever historical spin has been handed down.

This kind of thinking has drained the vital ity out of the tradition. Take just the idea that composers prefer Beethoven and Mozart were not actually popular until after their death. Th is not ion has bred a mentality that has said whatever it creates is too wonderful for present day listenerss and it must never ending ly establish for some, undefined, superior future listeners. This likewise conveniently isolates it from any criticism of what’s going on.

In point of fact, Beethoven was acknowledged as the greatest living composer in his own lifetime. The city of Vienna, an historically vital center of culture in Europe, paid the man to live there. As far as being ‘radical’ or ‘revolutionary,’ well, let’s see; we have Beethoven dedicating his third symphony to the leader of the French Revolution. we have Hector Berlioz composing an enduring masterpiece while stoned on opium.

We have premiers of famous classical works prefer Bolero and the Rite of Spring that were either banned or caused a riot. This list goes on and on.

And what of this hoary chestnut that states pop music is a lesser discipline? Anyone with a musical ear might tell you that there’s been plenty of exceptional ‘pop music.’ And why not? many of these artists, like Elton John, went to music school. They’re ‘ serious artists.’ So why this exceptional deceit? The most obvious suspect is the music business, but it is obvious by now, that they have no idea what they’re doing either.

No, the deeper reality is that, as long as there has been a culture in the western hemisphere, there has been a counter culture. All this business of counter culture, that supposedly began in the sixties, didn’t.

How far back does it go? Well. Richard Wagner, in his early days, was part of a free love movement in Ger many and his 1st opera was called ‘Forbidden Love,’ and it has hardly anything to do with rings of power or Teutonic nymphs.

It’s an opera that Wagner, later in his life, professed that he’d like to forget about, and, well, we’re just not going to let him. I will deal with culture and its twin, counter culture in subsequent articles.