Pop music

Hi guys,

I just read this essay on pop music and leisure, a lot of it talks about music very technically (which went right over my head, but could be interesting to the more musically minded) but also says some interesting stuff about leisure. He says there is more to analysing pop music and 'serious' music in terms of 'high' and 'low' brow entertainment, but he does definitely does refer to them in this way for the most part. Whether you agree with this or not it's an interesting essay.

He notes how pop music is industrial in it's promotion and distribution, even though it is supposedly a leisure device used to get away from work. It's interesting to think about the production of leisure 'machines'.

The standardisation of pop music (due to its industrial production) is a big theme in the essay, he discusses how it's important to keep this hidden (through 'labeling technique', genres etc.) so an illusion of individualism is upheld. If you aren't choosing what you do with your free time then surely it's not really free, right? (This reminded me of pop music fans constantly arguing over who copied who, everyone's copying everyone obviously!!)

He also talks about how the standardisation of pop music features repetition on one hand, but on the other it's used as an escape from the monotony and repetition of labour.

The fact that pop-music-industry-people are always found saying that they're 'giving the people what they want' is criticised by claiming that the 'people' using pop music as leisure are produced by the same mode of production as the leisure 'stuff' they are given.

Personally the most interesting point made in the article is that the boredom associated with work means that leisure time is associated with an absence of effort which, importantly, means there is less chance for new experience.

I've just read the essay and made some notes so haven't thought too much about how we could turn these ideas into a project, but I think a lot of the points (especially the last one) could be helpful. I'll attach the link incase you want to have a read yourself

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7ip8zgzvZpIR19pU1VUQnF6XzQ/edit?usp=sharing

(just thought, am I allowed to post the link to the essay if its only for goldsmiths students?? kinda seems like I wouldn't be allowed.... I've done it anyway...)

xxx