The Effects Of Music On A Culture

The Effects Music Has On Culture Daric M. Grant
Comm/215
January 18, 2011
Rose Safir
The Effects Music Has On Culture
Over the years, music has changed noticeably. There once was a time when it was considered therapeutic after a stressful day. Music is just not music anymore; in today’s generation, songs have more strong lyrical content towards certain issues that can have a positive or detrimental outcome to the listener. This constitutes a simple form of brain-washing, controlling the mind of an individual without the person being aware of such events. Music has the power to create an atmosphere which ultimately becomes the listeners’ reality. Whether the individual listens to Rap or Hip/Hop, Country, Gospel, Rhythm and Blues, or Heavy Metal, the musical community of genres dictates how people think, talk, dress, and behave. Breaking down each genre would take years of research, and finding candidates’ willing to contribute is not an easy task to accomplish when faced with such tremendous goals and expectations. Observation is the quickest and yet the most cost effective way of completing an assignment of this magnitude.
Take an individual who enjoys Rap or Hip/Hop, he/she maybe heavily influenced by materialistic non-sense which holds no true value, and show high signs of communicative barriers between a group of peers with different ethnic backgrounds. He/she may also believe that indulging in illegal activities and having multiple sexual encounters is of far more importance, all the while still believing that he/she deserves a parent of the year award.
Now take an individual, who listens to Gospel, he/she is the complete opposite of someone who plays Rap or Hip/Hop on a daily basis. Attitudes and manners are noticeable different to begin with, communication between peers tends to be more fluent while maintaining professionalism; common courtesy, and politeness. He/she may also believe in a higher power which provides for them all the necessary needs that make life livable. This individual expresses or relays the same message to those around him/her despite being ridiculed. Finally, take an individual who likes to listen to Heavy Metal. The attire of this individual is dramatically different from the two previous examples. He/she may tend to wear spiked hair, along with wearing jewelry that resembles spikes. The fingernails of this individual may also be painted black in color. He/she may appear to be anti-social, only conversing with those of similar status. This person is normally viewed as an outcast and treated as such. So what can music lead to? Well, the possibilities are endless. Music that has meaning and promotes lyrics with substance (food for thought) could lead to that big promotion in Los Angeles most individuals’ desire. On the other hand, music that promotes anything short of positive lyrics could lead to that lonely prison cell in Oklahoma. The key is finding what positive music is and maximizing it, or; finding what music is a hindrance and excluding it from the thought process all together. Either way, the effects of music on culture is not fictitious; it is very real. Preventative measures needs to be implemented with children to ensure certain types of music do not aid in the corruption of the young mind. Something as simple as monitoring what kind of CD he/she wants to purchase online, and denying access to those marked with Parental Advisory can aid in the screening process. Another method of preventing children from being influenced is to limit the amount television promoting behavior which should not be viewable by minors. Music videos tend to display content in short clips that may trigger the subconscious, and serve as a major problem in the development of the child in later years. In conclusion, music has a way of controlling an individuals’ thought process, which can ultimately have a positive or negative effect on a persons’ culture in general. Maintaining constant observation is of high importance and should not be taken lightly when dealing with these issues. It is imperative that parents monitor and control what children have access to, as it may lead to situations far beyond the normal expectations. This affects everyone, being prepared and having knowledge of what is out there is only the beginning of an endless fight to retain authority.