The Relentless Pursuit of Tone

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Popular Music ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Empty Space ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Pop Music ◽  
Sound Waves ◽  
Recorded Sound ◽  
History Of ◽  
Entire History

The Relentless Pursuit of Tone: Timbre in Popular Music assembles a wide spectrum of contemporary perspectives on how sound functions in an equally wide array of popular music. With subjects ranging from the twang of country banjos and the sheen of hip-hop strings to the crunch of amplified guitars and the thump of subwoofers on the dance floor, this volume attempts to bridge the gap between timbre, the purely acoustic characteristics of sound waves, and tone, an emergent musical construct that straddles the borderline between the perceptual and the political. The book’s chapters engage with the entire history of popular music as recorded sound, from the 1930s to the present day, under four large categories. The chapters in Part I, “Genre,” ask how sonic signatures define musical identities and publics; Part II, “Voice,” considers the most naturalized musical instrument, the human voice, as racial and gendered signifier, as property or likeness, and as raw material for algorithmic perfection through software; Part III, “Instrument,” tells stories of the way some iconic pop music machines—guitars, strings, synthesizers—got (or lost) their distinctive sounds; and Part IV, “Production,” puts it all together, asking structural questions about what happens in a recording studio, what is produced (sonic cartoons, rockist authenticity, empty space?), and what it all might mean. The book includes a general theoretical introduction by the editors and an afterword by noted popular music scholar Simon Frith.

The Culture of the Sound Image in Prewar Japan

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Popular Music ◽  
Film Industry ◽  
Pop Music ◽  
Japanese Cinema ◽  
Electronic Sound ◽  
Recorded Sound ◽  
Sound Image ◽  
Visual Style ◽  
Sound Technology ◽  
Sound Culture

This collection of essays explores the development of electronic sound recording in Japanese cinema, radio, and popular music to illuminate the interrelationship of aesthetics, technology, and cultural modernity in prewar Japan. Putting the cinema at the center of a ‘culture of the sound image’, it restores complexity to a media transition that is often described simply as slow and reluctant. In that vibrant sound culture, the talkie was introduced on the radio before it could be heard in the cinema, and pop music adaptations substituted for musicals even as cinema musicians and live narrators resisted the introduction of recorded sound. Taken together, the essays show that the development of sound technology shaped the economic structure of the film industry and its labour practices, the intermedial relation between cinema, radio, and popular music, as well as the architecture of cinemas and the visual style of individual Japanese films and filmmakers.

scholarly journals Pop Music for Kids: Sonic Markers as Narrative Strategies in Children’s Music

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eirik Askerøi
Keyword(s):  
Popular Music ◽  
Vocal Performance ◽  
Pop Music ◽  
Narrative Strategies ◽  
Children's Music ◽  
Recording Technology ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
History Of

Whilst the creative handling of recording technology has played a major role in the development of popular music, there has been little research into the role of production in music promoted explicitly for a child audience. The term “tween” is most often applied to describe children just before they become teens, referring to children aged 9–12 years. In more recent years, however, the tween category has come to comprise children as young as 4 and up to 15 years of age. Based on the premise that there is a growing tendency for children to be “youthified” at a far younger age than occurred previously, I am keen to investigate the extent to which music plays a part in this process. Through close readings of three songs from different eras in the history of children’s music, I will explore the role of sonic markers as narrative strategies in children’s music. The overall aim is to discuss the extent to which the relationships between lyrical content, vocal performance, and production aesthetics may play a role in the youthification of child performers and audiences. 

scholarly journals An Application Study of a Zingiber officinale Extraction in The Biological and Medical Fields

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (01) ◽  
pp. 74-82
Author(s):  
Fadhel Y.
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activity ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Zingiber Officinale ◽  
Medical Application ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Application Study ◽  
Active Constituents ◽  
Scientific Investigations ◽  
History Of

This study included a clarify of the biological and medical application of Zingiber officinale extraction, which regarded as an antibiotic against almost types of microorganisms, and as a medicine for treat of many deceases in the human body. Ginger is a spice and medicinal plant, and it is gained a very important role in agronomy production, pharmacy, and exportation because of its increased use as a raw material for the pharmaceutical industry and in everyday life. Ginger, the rhizome of Zingiber officinale, species of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) has a long history of medicinal and biological uses for more than 2000 years as one of the most versatile medicinal plants having a wide spectrum of biological activity and a common condiment for many various foods and beverages. Currently, there is a renewed interest in ginger, and several scientific investigations goal at isolation, identification of active constituents, scientific verification of its pharmacological actions for the treatment of deferent diseases and difficult conditions.

Resonances

2013 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Popular Music ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
Field Of Study ◽  
Avant Garde ◽  
Critical Exploration ◽  
History Of ◽  
Theoretical Paradigms

Resonances is a compelling collection of new essays by scholars, writers and musicians, all seeking to explore and enlighten this field of study. Noise seems to stand for a lack of aesthetic grace, to alienate or distract rather than enrapture. And yet the drones of psychedelia, the racket of garage rock and punk, the thudding of rave, the feedback of shoegaze and post-rock, the bombast of thrash and metal, the clatter of jungle and the stuttering of electronica, together with notable examples of avant-garde noise art, have all found a place in the history of contemporary musics, and are recognised as representing key evolutionary moments. Noise therefore is the untold story of contemporary popular music, and in a critical exploration of noise lies the possibility of a new narrative: one that is wide-ranging, connects the popular to the underground and avant-garde, fully posits the studio as a musical instrument, and demands new critical and theoretical paradigms of those seeking to write about music.

Avant-Gardists and the Lure of Pop Music

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Vernallis
Keyword(s):  
Popular Music ◽  
Music Videos ◽  
Pop Music ◽  
Avant Garde ◽  
Sound Image ◽  
Derek Jarman ◽  
History Of ◽  
Joseph Cornell ◽  
Cultural Constraints ◽  
Experimental Films

This chapter provides methods and models for thinking about avant-garde and experimental films and videos that incorporate popular music. It sketches the history of intersections between avant-gardists and popular music. It also provides close readings of works by Kenneth Anger, Bruce Connor, Joseph Cornell, Derek Jarman, Tony Oursler, Pipilotti Rist, Andy Warhol and others. It claims that institutional, formal and cultural constraints not only limit the frequency with which avant-gardists participate with pop musicians and pop music, they also colour the audiovisual relations within the works themselves. Avant-garde films and videos with pop soundtracks emphasise particular kinds of audiovisual relation—relations that differ from sound-image connections in narrative films, YouTube clips, commercials and music videos. It is demonstrated that this experimental subgenre embodies a unique sort of sound-image relation and suggests, finally, that these videos can expand our knowledge of audiovisual relations more broadly.

scholarly journals New Ways of Analysing the History of Varieties of English – An Acoustic Analysis of Early Pop Music Recordings from Ghana

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Popular Music ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Pop Music ◽  
Outer Circle ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
First Results ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 1950S ◽  
Music Recordings

Focusing on English in Ghana, this paper explores some ways in which early popular music recordings might be used to reconstruct the phonology of colonial and post-colonial Englishes in a situation where other recordings are (mostly) absent. While the history of standard and, to a certain degree, non-standard varieties of “Inner Circle Englishes” (Kachru 1986) has received linguistic attention, diachronic investigations of Outer Circle varieties are still the exception. For the most part, descriptions of the history of post-colonial Englishes are restricted to sociohistorical outlines from a macro-sociolinguistic perspective with little if any reference to the linguistic structure of earlier stages of the varieties. One main reason for this lack of diachronic studies is the limited availability of authentic historical data. In contrast to spoken material, written sources are more readily available, since early travel accounts, diaries or memoirs of missionaries, traders and administrators often contain quotes and at times there are even documents produced by speakers of colonial Englishes themselves (cf. the diary of Antera Duke, a late 18th century Nigerian slave trader; Behrendt et al. 2010). Such material provides insights into the morphology, syntax and the lexicon of earlier stages of varieties of English (cf. Hickey 2010), but it is inadequate for the reconstruction of phonological systems. Obtaining spoken material, which permits phonological investigation, is far more difficult, since there are comparatively few early recordings of Outer Circle Englishes. In such cases, popular music recordings can fill the gap. I will present first results of an acoustic analysis of Ghanaian “Highlife” songs from the 1950s to 1960s. My results show that vowel subsystems in the 1950s and 1960s show a different kind of variation than in present-day Ghanaian English. Particularly the STRUT lexical set is realized as /a, ɔ/ in the Highlife-corpus. Today, it is realized with three different vowels in Ghanaian English, /a, ε, ɔ/ (Huber 2004: 849). A particular emphasis will also be on the way Praat (Boersma and Weenink 2011) can be used to analyze music recordings.

scholarly journals DEVELOPMENTS IN MUSIC TECHNOLOGY: HYBRID ACTIVITY IN POPULAR MUSIC

eTopia ◽  
2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Wade Morris
Keyword(s):  
Popular Music ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Music Production ◽  
Recorded Sound ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
New Business ◽  
Mp3 Players ◽  
History Of ◽  
Listening Process

The most critical [issues] to which we should turn our attention are those that have consequences for the movement of music within and through different (and sometimes altogether new) spaces, such as changes in sales mechanisms, Internet broadcasting, the use of computers for producing, consuming and distributing music, and the personalisation of musical tastes and behaviours. (Jones, “Musicand the Internet” 225) Since the invention of recorded sound, music and the technology with which it is recorded have been entwined. From the phonograph to the mp3, the history of popular music production, distribution and consumption in the twentieth century is one marked by various technological innovations (see for example Coleman, 2003; Garofalo, 1999). Currently, new digital recording technologies are facilitating changes to the music making process (Théberge, 1997). Sophisticated software programs such as ProTools and Nuendo offer near-professional song recording, mixing and mastering abilities while Reason, Acid, plus a host of other programs encourage the manipulation of original or sample-based sounds. Innovations in the technologies of consumption are causing similar impacts to the listening process (Bull, 2000). Digital jukeboxes, mp3 players and new business models from the likes of iTunes and Napster 2.0 are affecting the way we receive and use music. In many ways, the processes associated with production and consumption are currently converging into one machine: the computer.

Playing-related Injury in Guitarists Playing Popular Music

2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 150-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L Rigg ◽  
Randy Marrinan ◽  
Mark A Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Popular Music ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
The United States ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
Electric Guitars ◽  
Anatomic Locations ◽  
Musical Genres

Playing a musical instrument involves the repetitive use of muscles, often at their extreme range of motion. Consequently, musicians in general are at an increased risk for the development of pain syndromes related to nerve or musculoskeletal damage. Acoustic and electric guitars are among the most popular instruments in the world today, with a large population of musicians at risk of injury. This article examines the results of a survey completed by 261 professional, amateur, and student guitarists to determine the most common anatomic locations of playing-related pain and its relationship to possible etiologic factors. A survey of 15 questions was distributed to professional, amateur, and student guitarists who play the musical genres of rock/blues, jazz, and folk across the United States and Canada. The questions addressed type of guitar played, style of music performed, playing posture, picking technique, anatomic location of pain, history of formal training, presence of playing-related pain in the past 12 months, history of trauma to the affected area, and history of other nonrelated medical problems. Playing-related pain was reported by 160 (61.3%) of 261 guitarists who completed the survey. The most often reported location was the fretting hand, with 109 (41.8%) of 261 subjects reporting the presence of playing-related pain in the previous 12 months. The back and neck were the next most reported sites of playing-related pain, with 45 (17.2%) of 261 subjects reporting back pain and 39 (14.9%) of 261 subjects reporting neck pain in the previous 12 months. The results suggest that a substantial number of guitarists playing various styles of popular music are experiencing playing-related pain.

Remembering Popular Music, Documentary Style

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 513-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Huber
Keyword(s):  
Popular Music ◽  
Wide Audience ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
Entire History ◽  
The Senses ◽  
Anglo American ◽  
American Popular Music ◽  
To Come ◽  
Aesthetic Characteristics

Over the past forty years, a growing number of television documentaries have attempted to produce a history of Anglo-American popular music for a wide audience. This article represents an attempt to come to terms with the particularity of the popular music documentary form and the different ways in which these documentaries present themselves as authoritative public texts that circulate understandings about popular music’s past. The argument is inspired by the landmark mid-1970s installment in this tradition: Tony Palmer’s epic seventeen-part narrative, All You Need Is Love. While this series makes strong historical claims—in Palmer’s words, it sets out to tell “nothing less than the entire history and development of popular music”—the author argues that the series is, in fact, based on the tropes and discourses of memory. Through an analysis of some of the particular formal and aesthetic characteristics of the series, this article reveals the ways in which talking and thinking about the past of popular music and its culture necessarily call on an experience of the senses that is simultaneously replayed and refracted as memory.

A voice without a face: popular music and the phonograph in the 1890s

Popular Music ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Laing
Keyword(s):  
Popular Music ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
Recording Process ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Music Recording ◽  
Formative Years

While the rock'n'roll era, dance bands, country and the blues have been the subject of detailed and analytical histories, the 1890s, those formative years of music-recording, still await adequate and rigorous scrutiny. The standard (and only) history of the recording process remains Roland Gelatt's The Fabulous Phonograph, whose first edition appeared in 1955. But while Gelatt's foreword promisingly notes that ‘the history of the phonograph is at once the history of an invention, an industry and a musical instrument’, his book seldom rises above a journalistic narrative. It is also marred by an ill-concealed bias towards the classical repertoire and against popular musics.

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