Introduction
In the early years of music, musicians performed on stage with live bands and orchestras to the locals in the community. Their music consisted of many harmonies and rhythms that would relax the mind and ease stress. Their classical style of music had more of a string type sound, in comparison to the rough and rugged sounds of today’s music. Did this rough music affect the way we hear things compared to their classical harmonic sounds? What technological advances in musical devices have caused these effects if there are any? Does music now affect the way we live compared to the music of the past? Back in the day people had no means of carrying around music as portable devices. If you had missed the regular performance of a composer, you missed out on your chance of hearing any music. Today Americans thrive on music, and each year they are finding more and more ways to listen to their music. In the 1980s, the boom box was born. These large music machines could be seen on the shoulders of teenagers and young adults; it was the emblem of urban culture. As time progressed, the bigger and flashier these musical devices were, the better. All of the latest rappers had one, The Fat Boys, LL Cool J, and even Biz Markie. People would come from all parts of the city just to see who was break dancing to the “ghetto blaster,” as it was commonly called (“The Golden Age,” n.d). However, as the decade passed, so did the trend of the boom box. With the 90s came portable CD players, also known as disc men. The CD player was a more practical and convenient way to listen to music on the go. It was by far more portable than the 80s boom box. This personal stereo device came equipped with muff-style headphones, which covered the listener’s entire ear. The only things missing were two AA batteries and, of course, the CD. Musical technology was not limited to the CD player. Music continued to mobilize as people