It is said that “Music is the language of the soul.” And since nobody can ever dispute this fact, people of all ages spend a lot of time, money, and effort in catering to their needs to get entertained with the kind of music they are so fond of. Some people, especially those that belong to the younger generation are even known to spend nearly a fortune, albeit a great number of their earnings just to purchase the record albums and other precious memorabilia of their favorite pop stars. Clearly, the impact that popular music has instilled upon people is a very serious kind of force.
Music Censorship and Education
Today, because of the breakthroughs that modern technology has given us, listening to music can be conveniently done in any place people find most comfortable. In effect, it’s getting harder and harder for parents or any regulating agency to censor or regulate whatever type of music is deemed inappropriate for kids.
To make matters worse, some of those censoring agencies seem to stop caring anymore because new songs get uploaded to online music portals every day – they are simply impossible to label and index anymore. This is one of the downsides of technology, some harmful media spreads uncontrollably because of the methods technology provides.
About the question of whether or not music can be used for educational purposes, there is no deep argument needed for such a claim. In fact, there are songs that can really make the listener learn a lot, or motivated to learn some more. One example is the song “Theme From Trouble Man” by Marvin Gaye, which has become a very popular motivational song for the past decades, even up to now.
Although the lyrics of the song itself contain no high level of trivia, many analysts declare that the vibe of the song can actually make people think and analyze deeply about the things and events around them. This song and others that are similar to it have made people superstars and have redefined the way people discuss and interpret matters of the mind and of society.
Music Publishing
Another point to be addressed is the importance of publishing popular music – if it should be hailed to be as important as publishing books and other reading materials. A modernist would say yes to a question pertaining to the matter. Traditional people however would insist that reading books and other printed materials are a far better learning activity than just listening to a piece of recording.
The efficacy of books as top-notch educational tools cannot be disputed for centuries and it could be the reason why they are still widely manufactured, sold, and consumed by people. But that is not to say that other modern materials cannot be equally helpful as well.
To further reinforce the idea of pop music as an educational tool, we have to also consider that some music artists are also invited as guest stars in some learning shows for kids. Some of them are even commissioned to modify the lyrics of their songs so it would fit a certain show’s objectives which is to educate the minds of children in a positive way.
On the other hand, some parents and even psychologists have the notion that certain forms of music can be toxic, and that they can corrupt the minds of the youth. Any observant individual can really attest that teenagers and young adults most often dress the way their favorite pop stars dress, and would even follow the lifestyles of those famous people.
Some psychiatrists would even go as far as claiming that some forms of music like heavy rock can make an infant grow up to be very aggressive and violent later in life. While some psychologists might dispute such findings, some ordinary parents do agree that as their kids grow up listening to rock music, many of them do appear rebellious and stubborn.
Of course, some analysts have bold claims that with or without rock music, teenagers regardless of their cultural upbringing surely goes through certain stages in which they will rebel against the will of their parents. Some experts insist that it is just a part of growing up.
The Dark Side of Pop Music
The negative influence of music artists among the minds of the youth cannot also be undermined. For instance, there are music artists who are labeled by the media as “legendary icons.” But upon closer inspection on the lives of those artists, however, it can be clearly seen that they constantly and repeatedly make bad choices that resulted in the destruction of their careers, and eventually their lives.
One example of this is Kurt Cobain, the lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Nirvana. Many music analysts declare him as the “father of modern rock” or the “father of grunge music.” Many individuals who belong to Generation X highly look up to him as a symbol, and as a figure of inspiration. But Cobain was a known drug user and a celebrity who displays rude behavior to the media.
Some kids of the 90s are even reported to act violently on stage as they perform – hitting sound system equipment with their instruments, smashing their instruments into the floor, and spitting on camera just to imitate the mannerisms of the famous Nirvana vocalist.
But the negative influence of Kurt Cobain is not only on his violent on-stage antics but on the fact that he committed suicide, allegedly due to depression and drug abuse. In the decades that followed, several other rock stars would follow in his footsteps. Though it cannot be affirmed for sure that those artists did get inspiration from Cobain’s suicide, some of them are known to idolize the ill-fated rock star according to the declarations they made in their interviews.
If we are to link the impact of pop music to American culture, we can declare that it has generated a lot of revenue in certain countries. The fact that the great majority of the countries of the world highly patronize western artists. For instance, when a US-based artist releases an album, that artist will be automatically propelled into global stardom since the record labels that flock to the American territory has very wide access to other sub-distributors all over the world.
And when those artists engage in world tours, which could sometimes take years to fully execute, they can earn huge amounts of money which they can bring back to their countries. They become even richer as the record albums they made continue to sell even while they do nothing at all. Without a doubt, the pop-music scene can greatly improve the economy of any nation to the greatest of heights.
Sana all, bisitahon daun ditso sa bot.