Never before have we had such extensive access to music as we do today. We leave our homes carrying hundreds of songs on MP3 players, singing competitions such as Canadian Idol are featured on primetime television, and gamers spend countless hours playing games like Rockband. We have more music than ever before, but is this quantity of music at risk of losing its quality?
Music nowadays is created quickly, published in less time, and delivered to fans at an incredible speed thanks to the internet. Songs can be bought and downloaded with programs such as iTunes, even more songs are illegally downloaded for free, and websites such as YouTube are crawling with homemade music videos and song recordings.
“The internet has made it much easier for all types of musicians to get [their] music out to the public,” says Ryan Spratt, music teacher and B.M. “What this means is that really anybody can make a record and put it online quickly and easily. This is not necessarily a good thing.”
Yet, Spratt doesn’t see it as all bad. He sees these changes as an opportunity for people who make music outside of the mainstream to reach their fans in a more direct manner. The internet can also help musicians who are not established to receive attention. “Rock and roll started out as an underground sensation then eventually it became big business,” says Spratt. “Same thing with disco, punk, rap, heavy metal, indie rock, etc.”
Another potential problem faced by music is that it exists within a world where it can be edited to extremes with software like GarageBand or even created entirely on a computer. And though it may be easy to dismiss artists who these mediums to produce music, creating songs with computer synthesizers still requires musical knowledge. Knowledge of harmonies, time signatures, and musical keys are all important when making songs with synthesizers, and mastering this technology undeniably requires skill.
Comparing a musician who plays a synthesizer and makes electro-pop music to somebody who plays classical piano is not a fair comparison. This is because acoustic pianos make sounds that synthesizers cannot, and vice versa.
Nonetheless, talent seems hard to come by these days. There is a lot of question as to whether or not popular artists today are popular because of their skill, or because of the way in which they are marketed.
Justin Bieber is a good example of this, and so are The Jonas Brothers. Young girls seem to love them, not for their songs but for their appearances. Companies make huge profits by turning young artists into television stars and targeting an even younger audience. This is unfortunate for those artists, because many would-be fans dismiss these teeny-bop singers, and decide that they don’t like the artists before they even hear them.
Today, a musician’s image can play an exaggerated role in determining the course of their career. Standing out is key to success in the music industry, and this is something that artists like Lady Gaga are well aware of. Her extreme fashion statements and behaviours have garnered attention and helped her to make a musical impression on the world.
Still, erratic fashion, and crazy behaviour can be a real turn-off for a lot of people. There are those who long for the days when music was simpler and the industry was more focused on musical skill and meaningful lyrics than image. For some, music has changed too much.
Ready access to music has its advantages and disadvantages. The secret is to find what kind of music you like and to listen to it, while keeping your ears open for new tunes to enjoy. Because ultimately determining quality is subjective.
