In life’s toughest and most enjoyable moments, there is usually music involved. Whether it is Reggae, Hip Hop, Rap, R&B, Rock, Latin, Jazz, or Classical music has a way of reflecting what’s on persons mind. Just like in prehistoric times, when music was just being born by early societies, in its many ways it was and is still used today to express oneself. Music is our feelings and emotions laid out for us to hear, using rhythm, pitch and melody. The rhythm of the rain and cricket, the melody of the songbird and our own voices became music that has been with us through the ages and has evolved with us as communication, ritual and entertainment. We listen to music because of the feeling of connection it creates within ourselves and with other people. Within a person, because ones mood can determine the genre of music they want to listen to in order to feel satisfaction. Also, because of the shared interest and feelings of music. Very rarely is there bad music, or good music. Music is either effective or ineffective; it’s all based on the listener’s unique opinion. The important thing about modern music specifically, is that the degree of modernism depends on the experience and taste of those whom are listening. This means that each and every person can have vastly different views on which artist and what styles are considered modern, because the critique of all art is a reflection of the individual’s experience. Music is in many ways woven into the fabric of our lives and can define the society that celebrates it. It is a reminder of how things once were, an indication of how things are, and a view of where society is headed. It has movement, because it progresses over a set period of time. All musical works have a beginning and an end. However, music does not restrict the audience in the way movies or graphic art tends to do. The listener can create whatever image she or he wants to when listening. It’s an art the appeals to the conscious mind.
The music of this era has changed dramatically. One example that is currently a flourishing genre is EDM (electronic dance music). It is a highly synthesized, broad range of percussive electronic sounds produced largely for nightclubs, raves, and festivals. EDM’s popularity as a genre can be attributed to its versatility in dance clubs and party’s, as it is not chained to particular instrumental characteristics or the “cult of personality” that can objectify the musical tastes of a large audience. EDM could be thumb nailed as being to hip-hop what rock was to jazz: not a total transcendence but a pairing down of ideas that had been present from the beginning to something new with a wider appeal.
The shifting of music, from one generation to the next, is many times seen by the proceeding to be an affront but by the ascendant as an evolution or even an act of independence that in any case will surely someday be considered a favorite “oldie”.