by The Boy Standing Outside Of Your Window With His Radio
As I watch my friend slowly strum on the strings of his guitar, looking at the floor disconsolately as if he were deconstructing the meaning of life itself, I cannot help but wonder what's going through his head. He is set in deep thought, and even amidst the busy happenings around him, his eyes publish a certain sense of profundity that I feel somewhat envious of. His lips move as if to whisper a secret, and upon closer inspection, I realize that he's mouthing the lyrics of a song. His fingers do not flutter in pace with his words, but nonetheless this recluse seems to find solace in his own self-constructed melody.
Such is the power of music. It has a power to convey meaning that is unique to an individual. Like any art form, it traverses perceptions and invites interpretation. How music is created, performed and even defined varies from one culture to another, not to mention that it does not exist outside of social context. From strictly organized compositions of Beethoven and Chopin, to the often-improvised rap battles in the ghettos of the Bronx, music is all encompassing and its definition cannot be stifled into one simple idea. It is an art form consisting of sound and silence expressed through time. And through the millions of years it has been part of human existence, predating even the written word, it has been used to deliver messages that would otherwise be left unspoken and to define experiences or circumstances that go beyond comprehension.
Music and Society
Music is intertwined with a multitude of human cultures, each valuing the art of sound and silence in tune with their beliefs and societal notions. In fact, one may link certain musical pieces or forms to a culture, by way of perceived characteristics based on recurring actions and traits. It's commonplace to say that one musical form comes from so and so; that this kind of group often listens to this and that kind of music. In the 20th Century, the aesthetics of listening to and appreciating music blossomed at such a tremendous rate.
"As the radio gained popularity worldwide and new media and technologies were developed to record, capture, reproduce, and distribute music. 20th Century music brought a new freedom and wide experimentation with new musical styles and forms that challenged the accepted rules of music of earlier periods, including both new popular forms as well as evolution of new classical forms..."
(History of Music, Wikipedia.org)
And as the notion of what music is evolved and as the number of musical genres increased, there came to be a musical art form for just about anyone. People soon were faced with an abundance of choices, at first appealing because of the diversity, soon overwhelming by sheer number. There is music for anyone and everyone, yes this was true even then. But how people come to choose what they listen to and what messages they get from the sound is an entirely different matter.
Kernels of Truth
The proliferation of stereotypes in music and stereotypes about certain music genres come hand in hand. Stereotypes are ideas held about members of particular groups; some are positive while most are negative and prejudicial. For instance, it is a common stereotype that most African-American individuals listen to rap music and RnB. While this may be true for many people of the African-American community, one should not by any way assume it to be true for all. This perception towards people is prejudiced and over-simplifies that identity of a culture. To prove my point, it may surprise some that a number of rock and pop bands, genres that are not commonly attributed to the African-American identity, have members that are from that culture, such as Sevendust and Bloc Party. A more negative perception that stems from this stereotype is that most who listen to rap music become angry and overly aggressive, often physically dominating in stature and so lacking in social graces. Rap lyrics are often thought of as vulgar and full of obscene references to sexual acts. Rappers are often characterized as poorly educated, simply interested in women and "bling", and stand around with do-rags and their underwear showing. But what of Kanye West? He doesn't seem to fit into this image. And in some cultures, rap music has found a new home within the Church in the form of Gospel Rap. In fact, most stereotypes about music and the people who listen to them are rarely completely accurate, if not founded on ill logic all together. The notion that Emo music is depressing and overly impassioned at first may seem true, but this view is based on a "small kernel of truth", that people who listen to this music are much the same. There is some truth that a significant number of the people who listen to Emo are either of two things: that they are empathic or simply introverted, preferring the secluded nature of this genre as it suits their personality. But this perception is surely cannot account for the popularity of the genre altogether. If such were the case, then anyone who listens to Dashboard Confessional will be more likely to break down in tears and commit suicide. And who would be listening to Emo then? Many characteristics and attitudes are linked to specific music genres. But what exactly are these values and which genres exemplify them?
Music is divided into genres and sub-genres, but the dividing lines and relationships between music genres are often unclear and/or controversial.
(Music Genre, Wikipedia.org)
Out of Sight, Out of Mind?
The power of music can be found in the subliminal messages embedded in lyrics and consonance. These are indistinct to the conscious mind, but allegedly affect the subconscious. But as the purpose, effectiveness, and frequency of such are arguable, how it affects an individual's mind and what manifestations come forth cannot be neglected.
Listening to various forms of music repeatedly over time would undoubtedly affect anyone, though they modify behavior on different levels. The constant barrage of noise and recurring lyrics discipline the mind and condition it with pre-set responses to a situation. "Subconscious stimulus by single words is well established to be modestly effective in changing human behavior or emotions." (Subliminal Messaging, Wikipedia.org) Some forms of music are said to take on aggressive advances to the human psyche. Heavy metal, screamo, and other louder forms of rock music are said to contain sub-audible tracks, which are mixed in underneath the main track. A person may not be aware of it, but these are heard subconsciously. Sometimes, in "backmasking", the messages are audible but are backwards where, as the conscious mind is absorbing the forward lyrics, the subconscious is working overtime to decipher the backwards message.
You Are What You Listen To
Do all people who listen to Britney Spears wear pink, have full-bodied platinum blond hair and act like senseless teenybopper drones? Are all fans of country music from the Southern States, dress in torn denim overalls and plaid shirts, spend their afternoons on a rickety porch chewing tobacco and whose parents are related even before marriage? Does one have to wear overly revealing all-black ensembles and carry around neon glo-sticks to go to a rave and jump around to techno music? And will Filipino music be nothing more than second-rate, unimaginative rip-offs of their Western counterparts? Surely, the answer to these are no.
But continuously listening to music and looking at images that are related to specific genres influence critical functions of the conscious mind through the subliminal suggestions. This influence is much like auto-suggestion or hypnosis, wherein the subject is encouraged (or somehow induced) to act and think in certain ways.
In closing, music is experienced by individuals in an extensive and all-inclusive range of social settings. Whether you're at a concert submerged in an auditory sea, or quietly drawn in by the sounds from you iPod earphones, music is particular to the individual, and no one single piece of music can be interpreted in the same way by two people. And as far as stereotypes in music, it is important for all of us to remember that we should not allow them to dictate how we live our lives. Stereotypes are useful only when they serve as a guide for us to understand things better. But when we allow these same stereotypes to restrain our perspective on things, we lose the essence of appreciating music.
Ask yourselves which came first: the music or the stereotype?
