MUSICLearning and communicating online: Assessment 2A Producing an online informational resource

Created by: Michael White, Katherine Hard, Howard Wu,

Linh Phan and Mohammed Khalil (Group 2).

Our research will explore how the five themes of music:

Country

R&B/Hip Hop

Pop

Rap

Rock

How they impact on the cultural attitudes of the listening audience. We'll describe

how the popularity of each type of music is dependent upon the demographics of

the audience market. It will also outline how music can play a role in

advocating and promoting social initiatives through the song lyrics.

Country Music:

Demographic audience

The stereotypical country music fan could be described as being from a rural

setting, who wears a cowboy hat, drives a pickup truck and frequents the pub.

However, country music stars today such as Taylor Swift and Keith Urban who

incorporate rock within the country genre reach a far broader audience.

Cultural issues

Country music is developed to appeal to the working class regardless of whether or

not those listeners are actually in the working class. Country music is simple

music, with simple lyrics that tell of human stories, of hopes and failings

(Kingsbury, P. 1998).  Songs of love and loss are typical of this style of music.

Social Initiatives

A controversial country song titled ‘The Thunder Rolls’ by Garth Brooks vividly

tells the story of domestic violence, with the original video actually including a

murder scene.  Although Brooks' intentions were to promote awareness of the

issue, TV stations banned the video.   Even without the lack of television support,

his goal was accomplished. Greater awareness resulted in various fundraisers to

assist battered women’s shelters. (Richards, K. 2012)

 

History

Country music originated in the rural Southern America in the 1920’s. Country

music is a mixture of folk, gospel, hillbilly and blues (Kingsbury, P. 1998).   The

simple lyrics and harmonies are generally accompanied by string instruments such

as banjo, fiddle or acoustic guitar. The settling immigrants of southern America

brought with them various instruments all contributing to the development of the

style.

R&B/Hip Hop Music:

Demographic audience

While R&B and Hip Hop was particularly prominent among African American

youths, this style of music has become increasingly popular across many different

cultures. R&B and Hip Hop predominately connects to youths, but may also

appeal to a more general audience as the style has progressed. Mainstream success

has emerged figures such as Dr.Dre, Eninem and Tupac.

Cultural issues

R&B and Hip hop music has been recognised as a strong medium for the troubled

youth to engage an audience and reflect the social, economic and political frailties

of their life. It often accentuates the strength and ability to rise above adversities.

Social Initiatives

The 1990s was a significant year that led to R&B/Hip hop’s emergence into

mainstream music. Public Enemy introduced singles such as ‘Fight the Power,’

breaking through the commercial barrier and inspiring a long line of other artists

from many cultures (Jones, 1990). Movements have surfaced as a result of the

international R&B/Hip Hop scene with what is known as micro genres (Jones,

1990). An example includes ‘Islamic Eco-Rap’ that was formed to address issues

through disenfranchised voices (Jones, 1990).

History

R&B/Hip Hop style and culture was formed during the 1970s with the increased

popularity of block parties in New York City (Dyson, 2007). It was traditionally

particular among African American youths residing in low residential areas

(Dyson, 2007). Due to popular reception the style broke into mainstream music

across all cultures.  

Pop Music:

Demographic audience

Pop music is by definition the most popular style of music at any given point in

time. With a wide appeal and accessible to almost any listener, it is safe to say

people who listen to pop music, range in age and lifestyle. Pop music is widely

accepted throughout most demographic groups and lifestyle types.

Cultural Issues

The cultural attitude of the pop music genre is best seen by the lyrical content of

the songs. As seen in the article 'Songs as a Medium for Embedded Reproductive

Messages' 2013. [ONLINE] Available at:

http://www.epjournal.net/wp-content/uploads/EP09390416.pdf. [Accessed 20

August 2013]. We see a study into the lyrical content of the billboard top 10

throughout 2009. Of the 174 songs that reached the top ten in 2009 a startling 92%

of these where seen to have reproductive content or sexual references. This along

with music video content often leads to particularly young adolescents

experimenting with alcohol, substance and sexual promiscuity at a far younger age

than they otherwise would. Impact of Music, Music Lyrics, and Music Videos on

Children and Youth. 2013. [ONLINE]

Available:http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/124/5/1488.full. [Accessed

20 August 2013].

Social Initiatives

Social initiatives are often seen throughout the history of pop music. At present the

best known initiative is a program called Rock corps. Rock corps is a program

which uses music, along the promise of tickets; to inspire people to volunteer in

their community. With international acts and more than twenty five concerts world

wide the program asks people to volunteer four hours of their time for a

community service in exchange for a free ticket to the concert in their city.

History

Pop music is identified as the music or musical styles that are accessible to the

widest audiences. Pop music has incorporated many different styles of music over

the years. With the phrase 'pop music' being coined in the 1920's, it all began with

rhythm and blues music. Throughout history it has taken many forms from jazz,

Motown, rock and roll, country and western, punk rock, and today’s more

electronic dance music.

Rap music:

Demographic audience

Rap music is broadly portrayed in the mass media as, 'negative', 'deviant' and

'criminal' (Schneider, 2010). It creates negative perceptions, messages and

influences in the public consciousness. The negativity is exacerbated by the

media, politicians and parents groups. It has a huge following amongst African

American young males.

Cultural Issues

Rap music is a symbolic term. It is often associate itself with race (black), class

(ghetto, slum, poor, violence, uneducated) and gender (male, misogyny). Its music

has been heavily criticised because of songs that deliver messages of violence and

drug use and anti-social behavior. With lyrics, phrases like 'da morning', 'why ya

trippin' and 'what up' began to make its way into mainstream street language. Also

words that are offensive to women like 'Bitch' and 'Ho' also surfaced.

Social Initiatives

With songs that depict rebellious actions and criminal intent, the advent of

censorship began to take hold. Censorship in the form of a sticker is used when

excessive use of sexual imagery, misogyny, glorification of violence and drug use

are contained in song lyrics. There have been campaigns by politicians to speak

out against these kinds of lyrics, fearing the negative influence on young children.

History

Rap music was developed as a black secular response to society issues. Similar to

spiritual music, like gospel and blues, it has deep connections to African American

religious traditions (predominately in North America). Its earliest form was

performed on street corners in the boroughs of New York City (mainly Brooklyn

and the Bronx). It gained national popularity when rap group Run DMC released,

'Walk this Way'.

Rock music:

Demographic audience

The Rock music trends among the existing fans used to depict the instrumental

rock music with guitar as a main part of the song. In 1951, Cleveland, Ohio disc

jockey, Alan Freed began playing the rhythm and blues music for multi-racial

audience. It was also used by African-American who were brought as slaves to US

as a means of communication in the fields to fool the plantation owners.

Cultural Issues

Rock music has also embodied and served as the vehicle for cultural and social

movements, leading to major sub-cultures including mods and rockers in the UK

and hippie counterculture that spread out from Francisco in 1960s. Rock music

has been associated with political activism as well as changes in social attitudes to

race, sex and drug use. Rock music is often seen as expression of youth revolt

against adult consumerism and conformity.

Social Initiatives

Different sub-genres of rock were adopted by and became central to the identity of

a large number of sub-cultures. In 1950s and 1960s, respectively British youths

adopted TeDDY Boy and Rockers subcultures, which revolved around US rock

and roll. Rock music inherited the folk tradition of protest song, making political

statements on subjects such as war, religion, poverty, civil rights, justice and the

environment.

History

Rock music is a genre of popular music that originated as ‘rock and roll’ in the

United States in the 1950s and developed into range of different styles in the 1960s

and later particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots

in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and

country music. Rock music also drew strongly on a number of other genres such

and folk and incorporated influences from jazz, classical and other musical

sources.

Music is considered a universal language that is listened to and appreciated all over

the world. It reaches to all types of demographics, and over time, it has generated

all different types of music - rock, pop, hip hop/R&B, country and rap. The

popularity of each music theme depends on which group of listeners is drawn to

the cultural attitudes and social movements prevailing at one point in time. Music

plays an integral part in providing a platform for any artists to raise social

awareness.

CREDIBILITY:

This online informational resource was produced for our Learning and

communicating online studies assessment. The research contained in this

presentation was assembled using only credible and reliable sources based on our

evaluation of the following, author and author’s identification. The author’s

credentials and qualifications. The author’s source of material (what they had

based their work on). The comprehensiveness of the author’s content. The

information reviewed contained seals or stamps of approval, deeming it reliable.

Other factors that influenced our information’s credibility were the date of

publication, presence of contact information on the source and the ability to verify

the claims elsewhere.

Please be sure to view our reference list.

References:

Ashbridge, M., Tanner, J. & Wortley, S., “Listening to Rap: Cultures of Crime, Cultures of

Resistance”, Social Forces 88(2) 693-722, December 209.

Dyson, E. 2007. Know What I Mean? : Reflections on Hip-Hop, Basic Civitas Books, p. 6.

Impact of Music, Music Lyrics, and Music Videos on Children and Youth. 2013. [ONLINE]

Available at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/124/5/1488.full. [Accessed 20 August

2013].

Jones, I V. (1990). MAINSTREAM RAP; Cutting-edge sound tops pop in a year of controversy;

Video's child take beat to new streets. USA Today (Gannett Company). p. 1.A.

Kingsbury, Paul. 1998. The encyclopedia of Country music. Oxford university press, p. 8 - 13.

Richards, Kevin. 2012 Top 10 Garth Brooks songs. February 11, 2012 Song: 'The Thunder

Rolls' From Album titled 'No Fences' (1990) http://tasteofcountry.com/garth-brooks-songs/

[Accessed 14 August 2013].

Schneider, C., 2010, Culture, Rap Music, "Bitch", and the Development of the Censorship

Frame, p. 37-51

 'Songs as a Medium for Embedded Reproductive Messages' 2013. . [ONLINE] Available at:

http://www.epjournal.net/wp-content/uploads/EP09390416.pdf. [Accessed 20 August 2013].

References (Images):

Images may be subject to copyright.

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content/uploads/2013/03/Music-Wallpaper-31.jpg [Accessed 11 September 2013]

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a96813_a508_country.jpg&w=450&h=295&ei=d0ExUorrC4TklAWH14GQCQ&zoom=1&iact

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