When considering music in context, it must be acknowledged, the influential role that music has taken throughout history across different cultural and ethnic identities as well as different peer groups within society.
Music has become a universal language in which individuals of all sexes, races and ethnic backgrounds are able to unite and relate with one another through a common purpose. The ancestry of music is one of the earliest forms of communication that has served as a tool for entertainment as well as holding educational purposes (Pleasants 1955:7).
The development of the array of different genre’s that now make up ‘music’ across the world provide entertainment through their own unique styles, concepts and influences, catering for a diverse range of tastes.
The different interpretations, perceptions and understanding of these genres have an immense impact on contemporary music. The individual nature of human taste for each aspect of a musical genre, e.g. The lyrics, the melody, the beat or the mood of a song all have an effect on the listener, that effect is what makes someone like a particular song or style of music where as an alternative listener may view the music in the opposite was and it have a negative effect.
The definition of music is highly variable across different cultures, age groups and audiences. Different sounds and patterns are interpreted and understood in different ways depending on one’s preferences, interests and choice of individual expression (Brackett 1995:24). These variations in opinions are what motivate composers to continue creating new and innovative rhythms, tempos, tones and styles. The expansion of musical movements has reached great heights in the 1900’s with the emergence of genres such as Techno in the late 60’s, Punk Rock in the 1970’s, and also Reggae (Borthwick& Moy 2004:42). Each of these movements has
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