-source: (http://www.medicmagic.net)
A large demographic of modern teens are seeking older generational music.
The modern pop music has entered a phase of technology. Songs are created completely synthetically with the uses of auto tune or virtual instruments via computer generated beats and sounds with no actually need for live equipment. This “electronic” genre of music has attained great fame within the teenage demographics as seen with artists such as Skrillex or DeadMau5’s success and praise from the music community.
Jamie Chang, a sophomore from North Hollywood High School, a fan of a dub-step style of electronic music explained why she liked electronic music and why it is a legitimate form of music. “Even if it is computer generated, it’s still art/music because it takes skill to actually create dubstep. It also helps me concentrate because it’s calming in a way,” Chang said.
However, this new generation of music is also met with a counter culture consisting of the music ranging mostly from the 60s up to the 90s called the “oldies”. The “oldies” often times denounce the electronic music as “vulgar,” “meaningless,” and “non-philosophical.”
“It isn’t real music.” said Emily Nevens, a sophomore from North Hollywood High School. “It doesn’t take any real skill to make electronic ‘music’ and it is just sounds made from a computer.”
She later added, “It takes some skill to make genuine music: composing melodies and harmonies that work together while creating well thought lyrics that go with the instrumental aspect works. Songs are actually more like pictures really. Like pictures, songs can speak a thousand words because the tone, pitch, rhythms, lyrics all work to convey a message.”
This kind of counter culture movement is not new. Jazz had been a counter culture against classical music as classic rock, alternative, and hip hop were all part of a counter culture of their era of a certain music genre. These counter culture movement tend to eventually become the dominant culture. This cycle of popularization of a genre and the reactionary counter culture will continue on and soon, another counter culture will emerge in response to both electronic and “oldies.”
