Essay, Research Paper: What Is Modern Music

The most important thing that was expressed about the definition of modern music is that the degree of modernism depends on the experience and taste of those whom are listening. This means that each person can have vastly different views on which musicians and what styles are considered modern, because the critique of all arts is merely opinion. The definition for “modern” in a dictionary is anything within the present. When discussing music the essay emphasized that modern music has other qualities than newness alone. To be considered modern music, it needs to alter in a varying degree from the traditions in material and in the style; it departs from previous conventions. In much of the essay, it is shown that modern music often experiences opposition. In the past, and even still the present, society and the music world initially reject modern music. In the essay music is described as a living language. When modern music is born it can also be considered as new way of expressing a new language. Music evolves just as language does. In the context of music, the grammar used in modern music is its harmony, melody, and rhythm that break all rules. Modern music uses foreign words and expressions that portray the ever-changing environment.
There are many styles of music today that can fit the description of modern music. New Age, which often uses sounds of nature to create a melody, clearly has an original style. Hip-hop music is a fairly new form of expression, and when it first began it was rejected and misunderstood by the public. More recent, as it has become more accepted in society and the pace of rhythmic change is quickly altering, for the demand of the listeners. The style of jazz music has also changed a great deal compared to when first born. I feel that modern Jazz as opposed to “old jazz” is a good example of a new expression of a society in which we live. Lastly, techno, which is a fairly new style of music, still is having trouble being accepted by listeners. After reading about other responses to modern music in the essay, its unpopularity is probably due to unfamiliar sounds used in a common repetitive pattern. I have often heard reactions that techno is unpleasing to the ear. Each of these styles will either quickly fade with the times or remain strong and evolve through time. The final outcome will be most dependent on the response of the listener, which also may or may not evolve through time.


Word Count: 425