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Music: an art in decline ?

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Music: an art in decline ?
Makarismos
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Posted 02/29/08 - 08:07 AM:
Subject: After some thought... 		quote post
#76
I was thinking about this thread today (I know, sad isn’t it) And I think I have a rather better answer to the proposition that music today is an art in decline.

The first problem with the viewpoint, is that it is vauge. “Decline” could mean something along the lines of:-
worsen: grow worse; "Conditions in the slum worsened"
And if so then saying that music has become worse, is to say that it is qualitivly worse than it was previously. This view supposes either that musical creativity has declined, incidents of musical genius are not so gifted as they once were – Or else that the sum of musical output has declined in its average quality.

I will note the absurdity of qualitivly categorising music right now, as I assume all can agree that the quality of music is for the most part in the “eye” of the beholder. However we must note that “music” is also a vague term here – as music today serves a different purpose/s than it has in previous ages. Yes we all dance to music, and we all sing along (well, I certainly do!) – But we also use recreational drugs when listening to music, we watch musicians playing music; we buy in to a lifestyle which is given by a particular genera. This adoption of a lifestyle is made most apparent in youth – we have skate punk, drum and base, gangster rap, grunge, heavy metal, nu metal (I could go on wink) and each of them is not just a music, but also a fashion, a lifestyle, an genera which suggests a particular outlook. It is not, however, limited to youth.
Music might perhaps be rated as to its perfection in some mathematical way – perhaps the complexity of the notes, or the simplicity of the central theme – even if this is so I would contend that it is impossible to rate these different lifestyles against the music. Further these lifestyles are integral to the understanding and creation of the music. Therefore, the music cannot be rated.

If the music cannot be rated, the very notion of a decline in music is reduced to a subjective impression. If you think that music – and as some have claimed western culture itself – are in decline, then that is your opinion. Your opinion is meaningless, and holds no sway against the opposite opinion, that music is far from being in decline. All of this applies if someone would like to attempt to advance some objective argument for music being “worse” today than it was previously. However there may be other criteria we could use.

We might think that the number of people involved in producing and listening to music is in decline. This is plainly not true – with the advent of cheap instruments and production techniques, and finally distribution possibilities, it is not possible for a lone musician living in ipswitch to have their music heard around the world. There are more people alive today than ever before, and far more of them have the time and resourses to put in to a hobby, the fruits of which are musical output. It is almost absurd to suggest that music is produced or listened to less today than it was previously – and anyone doing so would certainly have some statistics to pull out of the bag!

So if music cannot be rated qualitivly, and is certainly more widespread than it was, what else might the statement mean? Perhaps it means that today people – though they produce more music – learn less about music as an art-form and science. That music is both an art-form and a science I will agree with. At its heights music is as complex and demanding to learn and understand as any human project can be. Is it not the case that in the past, those who were taught musically were taught all that was available in a methodical way, and today music is practiced by those who have merely picked up a guitar, or a record deck at a jumble sale.

We must consider the numbers involved. In the past, I would make the claim that only an elite minority were taught musically. They were selected for their early talent, and no amount of talent would allow someone of the wrong class or position to practice or perform. There were less people from which to chose, and as musical talent has always been a scarce and valuable thing, this meant that musical geniuses were as rare as moon dust.

Today there are musical Institutions which did not exist in the past. There are unified systems of musical grading (up to 9 non professional grades) with standardised testing and teaching. There are orchestral organisations employing thousands of trained musicians around the world (the London philharmonic orchestra for an obvious example) and these musicians do not only know all that we know about music, they know more than was ever known in the past.

There are more genera’s than previously, more musicians than previously, more classically trained musicians than previously, more music in existence than previously, we have recorded music which allows everyone to listen to the works of any composer they wish in the click of a button. I would go so far as to say, that in every conceivable sense of the terms involved, music is not an art in decline at all.

This leaves me with an objection just brought up
"themusicolagist" wrote:

So as to the initial question: Is our civilisation, (and music) in decline? I would say Yes. Why? because it has, (along with other art forms), become commoditized and is now a part of the Culture Industry. Lets face it, economics is the driving force behind everything today as we cross the bridge into a one ideology, (capitalist), Mono Culture. One of the earlier questions in the thread was; Are we going to allow this to happen? .. I believe that we already have.

This is merely the objection that music has been alienated, as something which was once made freely it has now become a capitalist tool, robbing it of its essential humanity and causing both the producer and listener to become alienated and enslaved.

This is Karl Marx, a rather interesting chap who had a rather big problem. While I respect his position, and his opposition for liberal democracy (something I would like to see more of!) It occurs to me that he merely guesses that our nature is to be communal and un-commercial. He advises that working merely for money denies some kind of essential part of our-selves - but he also advises that me may not be aware of this.

The fact that we might not be aware is important, because it implies there is something about ourselves which we don’t know. Even if the musician is happy producing music, and the listener is happy buying it, they might be secretly unhappy - secretly alienated - and this is a problem. It suggests that we do not ourselves know what is best for us! That we do have a best path, which can be found out! And that weather we want it or not consciously, our own best interests can be and morally should be done for us.

Such logic might very well lead to us banning music, and when we complain of why the music has gone, the answer will be "because you wanted it to banned, your true nature required it".

And perhaps it is the case that we have such a "true nature" - but how would we find out about it? If someone who does not know is equally capable of happiness, then why would we want to know? It is a problem which I would rather not worry about, If our true nature is discoverable then we should find proof and go with what that proof dictates – otherwise I would suggest we each act and believe how we want to.


Edited by Makarismos on 02/29/08 - 08:22 AM
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