Posted on 07/30/2016 8:49:28 AM PDT by OddLane
A brilliant exposition of what's wrong with our society by one of my favorite modern philosophers.
I’ll save for when I have trouble sleeping
I have been driven out of more than one store by the excruciating sounds of pop music, usually at deafening levels sufficient enough to interfere with your thought process.
I always wondered who exactly actually listens to pop music
pre-teen girls
Yeah, we should all go back to listening to sweet melodic tunes from the 1940s and 50s. < /S >
Disney world was one of the first I recall doing this in the 70's and 80's. Now outdoor speakers and technologies are more commonplace.
I think it can add to ambiance in some cases, but in most, it's tiresome background noise. Take a trip to the country or go camping to enjoy the sounds of nature, stillness of the night, and quiet comfort. Noise pollution can be a stressor and I view many of the musak venues as a contributor.
Interesting that he includes Beethoven in his list of good music. Read some of the contemporary reviews of his compositions. Cranky old men like Scruton hated them and bemoaned what music had become: “a caricature of Haydn pushed to absurdity.”
Watched the whole thing. It is actually pretty insightful and not what you might think.
They even use the same vocal phrasing when singing the Star Spangled Banner, FCOL.
Did you watch the video? He suggests no such thing.
You are correct. There are several youtube videos that demonstrate that many pop songs consist of the same four chords. Musical tastes do reflect the intellect and educational status of a society. Listening to a symphony is much more mental work than mindlessly humming along to The Beach Boys.
I liked his suggestion that teaching children to “play” music changes their ear. He suggests bringing the art and enjoyment back to music rather than they constant tyranny of synth pop. Insightful commentary.
Dear Roger. If philosophers had groupies, I’d be his. He’s a conservative hero, and richly deserves his recent knighthood for his services to Western Civilization.
That is a really important suggestion. I have two daughters who are currently violin students who take lessons from demanding teachers. The very first thing that is taught is to teach the “ear” to hear pitch. If they can’t sing it, then they won’t be able to play it. Their teacher emphasizes the importance of listening to good music to develop solid musicianship. He is right. Most often the musically talented come from musical homes. My feeling is that this is not because the parent spent hours with a three year old Perlman insisting his F was flat but because his ear was trained at a very young age to what music can really be.
++++
I'll correct your typo:
Yeah, we should all go back to listening to sweet melodic tunes from the 1940s and 50s.
And then I'll correct your content:
Yeah, we should all go back to listening to sweet melodic tunes from the 1960's, 70's and 80's.
No need to thank me. I consider it a public service. 😎
OUTSTANDING post. Thanks.
I hate corporate music, the crap that’s produced by big record companies and sung by some ditzy tart.
Give me those old time garage bands any day.
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