Trends in Modern Music - Essay Example

Musicians should be required to pay other musicians for the use of their material. I believe that having a regulatory environment that places a strong emphasis on copyright infringement is not in the best interest of society. When independent or small-scale musicians run the risk of a fine or lawsuit for sampling another musician’s music, then the legal system is too restrictive. However, in situations when the musician sampling the music is already well-established and there is a significant monetary gain that is achieved, then I believe the law should be active in instituting regulations.

I believe that musicians should have a say in how their music is used. Frequently this is witnessed in political campaigns when a musician doesn’t want the Republican Party to use their music. For instance, this occurred with Tom Petty during the 2008 election, as John McCain had been using Petty’s song ‘Won’t Back Down’. While the musician writes the song in large part the way that it is used contributes to the song’s meaning. For instance, if a song is used in a commercial then it could potentially cheapen the song’s artistic authenticity. For these reasons it is clear that just as the musician decides which lyrics and melodies will be used to create meaning in the track, they should additionally be given the right to indicate how the song’s meaning is conditioned by its use in the mass media. Of course, there is a just use-it mentality in many aspects of life. For instance, oftentimes people will use torrents and download software on the Internet. In other instances, people will make copies of movies, television shows, or music and share them with friends. In art, artists will also borrow ideas for inspiration or build off the approach of other artists.

Several trends and songs occurred in the 1990s. One considers the early 1990s alternative music movement, as well as the gangsta rap movement that occurred. In addition to these movements, however, there were also smaller movements that may have not gained the same recognition. For instance, there was an independent rock movement that occurred where bands such as Pavement, Built to Spill, and Guided by Voices became greatly popular. Other smaller-scale trends occurred. For instance bands such as Belle and Sebastian and Neutral Milk Hotel created music that gained popularity outside the bounds of mainstream attention. Read More