Music As Entertainment

Ahoy!

I recently read an article that discussed the idea that there are currently two music industries: one that champions pop stars, big hits, and making large amounts of money for record executives and another that champions good music, smaller artists, and making a living, not millions of dollars. I label this divide as music for entertainment and music for art. Each certainly has its place and comes from a similar creative spark, but has a very different end goal.

Music as entertainment is what most people (at least in the US) actually consume. This is the side of music based on the hit single and selling the most copies. Live performances are based around amazing visuals and tightly choreographed dances. Essentially, music as entertainment is often a passive experience (you don’t think while listening to it). It’s less about the music and more about the experience. Anything you consider “pop” music falls into this category (think top 40’s) and it applies to all genres. No matter the umbrella classification, from rock to hip hop to jazz, if it’s popular in any way, it’s probably watered down musically and built up visually.  

This type of musical production is often labeled as “bad music” by jazz and classical musicians (or any musician with academic training). It gets a bad reputation in these circles because the focus isn’t solely on making the best MUSICAL product. While there is focus on the music itself, at every step of the writing and arranging process there is also a focus on “how will this be received by the audience.” “Will people like this?” and “Is it catchy” are often questions asked early in the writing process of entertainment music.

If you’re a fan of popular music you may be asking yourself, “what’s so bad about this?” Intrinsically there is nothing wrong with thinking about music in this way. There is a time and place for simple music that I don’t have to think about, like when I’m driving or doing mindless tasks around the apartment. However, what most people fail to realize about most top 40’s artist is that they aren’t actually trying to make music with any depth. They are trying to make music that benefits them financially and will make them a public icon (or keep them there). These artists rarely write their own music and intentionally write “catchy” choruses and hooks. The initial idea of a song might be framed from a personal life experience (like a break up) but the end product of an entire album's worth of songs is certainly not 100% one writer's doing. Working with a major label means doing songs they think will be a hit. Even if all the parts of a song are written by the recording artist, it’s almost a guarantee that someone else has a hand in arranging the song to be as catchy and pop friendly as possible.

This is bad because you are getting the spark note version of what the song could actually be. Break up songs should make me feel something. They should tell the story of why the person feels so sad about the loss of someone they loved. They should be raw and emotional. Once you filter these types of songs through a pop lens they are anything but that. Why this is so frustrating to me is that most everyday music consumers don't realize there is a higher form of songwriting out there. Artists do exist that tell stories with beautifully written poetry and construct their songs without a preset formula. These are the artists that I label as making art music.

Next week I’ll discuss how I process music as art, why I think it’s a higher a form of music, but also why I think trained musicians need to stop being stuck up snobs toward entertainment music.

Until next time,

Heard

HAVE YOU HEARD?
Alanis Morissette- Jagged Little Pill

Any of our readers over 25 will probably remember most of these songs from their childhood. For our younger viewers who might not know this album...get it. This album features song after song of raw emotion from Alanis all of which represent scenarios we've all encountered. I especially enjoy the acoustic version of the album as I think it gets more to the core of the music and leaves a lot of the studio production out. Not only can modern singer/songwriters draw inspiration from this but Alanis played a vital role in the "I am woman, I can be a badass, I can and should have an emotional side, and I can keep up with the boys in this rock and roll world" mentality. She threw real life in our faces: I am angry and have the right to be angry! I am smart! I want to fall in love! I am not the doctor! On this album, she points out the desire for deep conversations. She confronts cheating boyfriends. She acknowledges the pressures that we all feel, reminds the bosses who sexually harass their employees that we can see what you are doing (Hi, Harvey!), and displays the ironies of everyday life. Millennials, this one deserves your attention. Alanis was woke in 1995.