the intellectual
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2/20/2016 12:58:47 PM
Looking for new ways to label music outside of genres
It's struck me for awhile now that the real issue in labeling music for music lovers should have to do with the components each song brings to the table. For instance when the music video became more important, some songs in my mind were released more as video/songs than just songs. Nowadays the song is often caught up in dance routines that somewhat subjugate the song. I'd like to try to develop a classification that takes account of the various components that form the music hybrids that dominate popular music now. To break them down even further, there are videos with live performances and videos that are more representational. Anybody have any ideas how one would classify these things, what the breakdown would be?
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Bryon Tosoff
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2/20/2016 1:33:14 PM
interesting thought I like earthy down to earth organic music. like actual genuine to goodness live acoustic works
whether with vocals or instrumental.
I am guilty though of transgressing into the inorganic beat music with layers of synth and my old 30-40 year old electronic gizmos, but still try to keep it melodic when I invent songs.
but breakdown into hybrid or splintered off stuff and naming them. . man. too much to think about, I am sure you could do better then I , and many more here
But some music could be addressed as Sub human
hows that
good luck.
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Stoneman
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2/20/2016 1:59:06 PM
Well, that's a tough question there. As a multiple genre artist I have always abhorred genre labeling as it is all just music to me. But for the music lover, there should be some characteristics of the music than can be broken down. Todays experts have done a credible job of categorizing music styles. However, there will always be those songs that defy categorization. For instance, both EDM songs and some Hip-Hop songs are categorized as Dance music. Those video songs you spoke of with dance routines were produced mainly for the dance club experience. That is why they put dance routines on the video. The lyrics are secondary to the dance beat a feel of the song. One thing the DJ's use is BPM to classify a song. But BPM can be delusional as a Country song and a R&B song with the same BPM may not translate into the same dance song in the club. One may not be danceable at all. But one element to look at is BPM.
Other elements would be mood, message, intent, ethnic make up, dominant instrumentation (hard beat/soft beat), Style (Reggae/Hip-Hop/Rock etc.) and many other factors yet to be discovered because music is in a constant evolutionary state. What is hot this year may be passé next year. That is why I say your questions are difficult to answer. Within the parameters of the musical scales lives countless variables that make individual musical styles relevant and accepted as their own entities. The elements of music cannot be totally harnessed as the entire scope of musical competition thrives on innovation and discovery. I have written over a thousand songs in about 12 so called music genres. Each genre has its own nuances that make it identifiable as its own. Syncopation, movement, feeling, emotion, exertion, insertion, dynamics, build-ups, energy and/or a lack there of all have a role to play in the creation of songs in certain musical styles. A successful migration from one style to the other requires research into the cultural nature of the songs style. For instance, Soul music comes from the torturous yearnings for freedom and justice through the unique qualities of Black church music. It must be sung and played with increased emotional feelings. The vocals must be sung with a unique circle of "runs" that connect the listener back to the history of music from the soul. Vocal yearnings that were displayed daily in the cotton fields during slavery have become standard vocal runs in soul music. All of the best Soul music artists migrated from Black Gospel music to Soul. The same goes for Country music. There is a history behind that music and tapping into that history allows one to play it in a more authentic way. Sure, you can create some formulas that would help to classify music according your set parameters. But the flaw would be the inability to classify cultural feelings and historical correlation with the music.
So, there would always be flaws. It is sort of like being religious but not spiritual. One without the other is flawed and suspect. The feeling of the music is the draw and the reward for the listener. That is why we listen. It makes us feel a certain way. A good emotional country song can affect me just as much as a good emotional R&B song. But they are totally different kinds of music that could be put in the "Inspirational" category. True classification would require more skills and knowledge than any person or system could possibly acquire. So, just as today's genre experts are often flawed in how they classify a song, any system that you invented would probably be just as flawed. The inability to anticipate the evolutionary state of music would be the biggest challenge. A good example would be the fact that they are playing Adele's song on the soul stations. Despite the fact that she is not a soul singer, her music has just enough emotion to pass as a soul song. But she is a Pop artist. Very few are able to make that kind of transition. But it happens and that is what drives the Billboard charts people crazy.
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