Trashy Music (was WELCOME)

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>>>>> "00kmvanooteg" == 00kmvanooteg  <00kmvanooteg@bsuvc.bsu.edu> writes:

    00kmvanooteg> Are the words in a song the only element that assist
    00kmvanooteg> in creating an atmosphere?

No, the rhythm, melody, and harmony all contribute as well.

Now, given that, how do we determine whether that contibution is
producing a positive or a negative effect?

Specifically, I seem to feel that the underlying tone of the arguments
against certain music forms are that they seem to create a negative
effect in the mind of the listener, or more specifically, in the mind
of the person claiming that they are bad.  

The real question that then needs to be addressed is whether that is
the same effect that is being produced in other listners' minds.  Or
to elaborate, is the particular type of music creating the most
positive effect in the majority of the listeners' minds.  This last
phrasing of the question makes it imperative to know not only the type
of music, but also the minds of the listeners.  Thus, it becomes a
cultural issue.

Am I off base ehre, or is this the actual case?

I came from a church in a small town in rural Kentucky.  I now live in
Chicago.  Before moving to Kentucky, I lived in Ft. Lauderdale,
Florida.  I have travelled widely in my work as a computer consultant,
and I have attended many churches with very well known pastors.  I
have also attended services at a number of large metropolitan black
churches. 

The music at all these churches was characteristicly different.  The
Kentucky church favored country gospel.  The black churches favored
black gospel.  The more southern churches tended to favor the southern
country style of gospel music, while the more northern churches tended
to favor the contemporary style.  The youth groups at all these
churches tended to favor the black gospel, the contemporary gospel,
and the Christian rock styles.

The answer seems to be, "know your audience."  I would no more choose
Christian rock for a Sunday night evangelical meeting in a southern
church than I would choose southern country gospel for a youth meeting
up north.

Is one style of music "right", and another "wrong"?  I do not think
so.  I think a combination of a particular audience together with a
particular musical style may be determined to be more or less
effective than some other combination, but it is definately a
cultural issue.

Now, (to close with a question...) are there certain elements or
characteristics, such as:

  1.  mode: major, minor (harmonic or natural), Dorian, Phrygian,
      pentatonic, etc.,

  2.  time signature: conventional (3/4, 2/4, 4/4, 6/8, 12/8, etc.),
      unusual (5/4, 7/8, 11/8, 15/16, etc.),

  3.  rhythm: what beat is accented, syncopation, etc.

  4.  melodic intervals: fifth, major thrid, minor third, seventh,
      major seventh, ninth, tri-tone, augmenteds, diminisheds, etc.,

  5.  harmony: considerations similar to above, including deliberate
      dissonance and 12-tone constructions,

  6.  phrasing: 4 bars, 8 bars, 6 bars, combinations of these, or
      weird and bizare constructions,

  7.  tempo: slow, fast, fluctuating, etc.

that are *NOT* cultural, that tend to universally create negative or
positive effects?

If the answer to the above is "yes" to the creation of negative
effects, then do certain forms of music being discussed here seem to
have a preponderance of these negative influences?  In other words,
can we say exactly what it is that is negative about certain forms of
music?

Ditto for positive influences.  Can we say what it is about certain
forms of music that seems to universally create positive effects?

-- 
--------  "And there came a writing to him from Elijah"  [2Ch 21:12]  --------
Robert Jay Brown III  rj@eli.wariat.org  http://eli.wariat.org  1 847 705-0424
Elijah Laboratories Inc.;  37 South Greenwood Avenue;  Palatine, IL 60067-6328
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