Music Today: From Victrola to Spotify
Music within a culture is influenced by aspects of social and economic organization, experiences, climate, and access to technology. It is found in every culture, past and present, based on times and places. Music expresses emotions and freedom of expression.
The roots of today's popular music can be traced to earlier musical traditions; from Hip Hop having roots tied to the religious African drumming ceremonies, to Appalachian folk songs having an influence on similar music, calling it Americana. Music today depends on the influence of others. One influence was the earliest printed materials, which had a huge impact. Most were song lyrics and musical notations, which inspired the motivation of the radio and recorded music.
Here's a brief timeline of how we got to where we are today in music:
The late 1800s and early 1900s - Victrola
The Victrola was a trade name for an early phonograph, a widely used medium to have recorded music in homes. Thomas Edison developed the first acoustic recording technology in 1877 and in 1906 Victor Talking Machine Company introduced the Victrola. With this invention, he introduced people to a variety of all-new kinds of music faster than ever. This also helped artists and song composers get a reading on what the people liked and were enjoying more in the way of genres.
1920s - Radio
Radio had become big and allowed people to take recorded music with them. While the radio audience increased, the phonograph began to die off. This also jump-started a huge growth in the area of live broadcasting. In 1923, licenses were being issued to help manage frequency interference. This also allowed multiple channels available in-home and offered ad-paid entertainment.
1950s-1960s - Birth of Genres
With the first idea of different niches or "genres," listeners were introduced to a wider range of music than ever before. With constant feedback, those in the entertainment and production world learned what their listeners wanted and could cater to these preferences even better. This also gave rise to DJs and Payola.
1982 - Digital Recording
Musicians and music consumers recorded music in digital forms, and CDs at this time revolutionized "record" sales. Even today, aspiring artists use low-cost digital equipment to record their sound to show the world. From compact discs to records, to FM to online, music evolved throughout the times. This was a huge step in helping music become portable.
2000s - Music on the Internet
There was an unleashing of digital recording as users began to play and record music on their personal computers as well as sending them through the internet. This was a game-changer for music and its sharing with the world.
Recently there has been a shift back to Victrola. Most Victrolas today offer the vinyl-playing option as well as a Bluetooth speaker connection - talk about new and improved! What we thought was a dying matter has come back to society, bringing friends and family together. To sit among people you love enjoying the music playing is such a simple and sweet opportunity we often take for granted. Victrola was created over 100 years ago and still influencing us today.
As we talk about recorded music and radio, I sit and reminisce on several moments in my life where music impacted me; moments that I still hold with me today; moments that helped shape me into who I am today. As we all can relate to, music and the radio have an influence on my life in so many ways. I remember music from the very beginning of my life, from having road trip tunes in the car, to my first ever CD player, to this winter sitting on the counter tops listening and singing Christmas songs with my brothers. It is something that brings my family together, and all it takes is someone connecting their iPhone to a Bluetooth speaker and playing "Take Me Home Country Roads" by John Denver. Our family group chat is even where we go when we find our next favorite song that we have to share with each other. Our music likes and dislikes have changed with us throughout our life, but they are something that our roots tie closely to. It makes us who we are and helps us experience life more and more.
Why is Music Important?
The interaction with sound is unavoidable, either to make it or take pleasure in it. People have always found pleasure in it and find it significant in their lives. Music can be used for enjoyment in listening, an emotional response, performing or even creating. Music is known to be able to raise moods, get people excited, or calm them down. It also stimulates the mind. By being mindful of melodies or themes, the harmony, rhythms, the sound, etcetera, the mind experiences things that it would not without music. Music also has an expressive ability that allows the artist to express themselves and their emotions while listeners can express themselves through the same music, perhaps in the same or different ways. Music may be seen as an alternative to mainstream entertainment, but in reality, offers enrichment to the lives and minds in our society.
by Mariah Sharrow