Introduction
Technological advancement has been one of the greatest dynamic phenomena of our time. In the past, a lot could not be done just because the kind of systems that existed could not match our expectations and needs. Currently, things have changed so tremendously. Every aspect of life incorporates technology. People are able to link up today in various ways, the easiest being through social media. Since the inception of Facebook and Twitter, many people have been able to connect with each other more profoundly, thanks to technology. Life has been made easier in different dimensions. One would therefore think of technology as one of the greatest essential tools that the world has today. In fact, it has become more of a basic life necessity.
One thing however stands out from the technological advancement. Sound technology has become one of the greatest phenomena to affect our lives in the recent past. Sound is directly connected to our sense of listening (Aram, 12). Therefore, the sound is one of the utmost necessities to human life because from it we can able to hear. However, for the sound to have some effect, it should be able to be heard from all dimensions. Thus, it requires an extra effort to make the sound more profound and clear for the sake of an understanding.
Sound technology has become very essential in the sense that communication has been enhanced because of the technological advancement. Through mobile phones, we can be able to get communication in an interactive segment. This prompts a response from the two people communicating. In social media, sounds have been developed so that people can be able to get effects of sound nature. For instance, people are able to communicate through Skype only for the simple reason that they are able to get the sounds from both directions (Aram, 15). Sound technology has been a great phenomenon in the recent times and therefore, has affected lives in a tremendous way.
The music industry has been impacted in a great way through sound technology. Over the years, music has gone through some significant transformations, but that has been because of the technological age. In the yester years, people could only hear the music from live performances by the respective artists. People could go extra miles just to have a feel of the music (Aram, 24). After the experience of the live concert, people never had the opportunity to engage with the music, as it was not easy nor practical to follow those concerts on every occasion. There were no devices that could be used for recording such music just to be heard on a later date for comfort or luxury.
Today things have changed for the better. Through technology, music production and recording has gone through immense transformations. Case in point is that today, devices have been developed to make it possible for one to listen to music anywhere and everywhere. The online tools have also made it possible to download music that have the ability, and be listened to later. This has been a major transformation in the music industry. As the technology has transformed to another level so as music. The musical sounds have been able to speak directly to the issues of life in a major significant way. The social life of human beings has been changed because of music. There is music designed for a specific group of people throughout the different generations. More importantly is that every kind of music has a specific audience that it targets for the sake of giving the direct information on the basis of need an expectation (Nye, 3).
Production has been made to be more meaningful and have been designed in such a way that it can satisfy the purpose of inception. Today people do not need to go to concerts, but the music has been made accessible by virtue that recording is possible. The devices have also been made in such a way that they can contain the music and have it replayed again and again depending on the message in the music (Nye, 3). Music has changed our way of life in different dimensions. For instance, through technology, we can hear music that appeals to our needs either emotionally or cultural. One also listens to music that gives teaching or speaks to some issues of life. This has made it possible to have a life affected by music thanks to the growing technological advancements.
Through music, our way of life has been modeled in a sense that people would at one point want to relate to the music based on the message in the music. Social life and culture has thus changed tremendously because of the music (Pinch, 7). This has been because technology has made it possible for music to grow and have meaning in a wider sense. It has also made the writers of the songs be sensitive to technological advancements thus they have been able to write songs that meet the expectations of the people. The way and methods of singing have also been changed. The musical sounds of the singers have also been made perfect. This has not only made it possible for the music to appeal to an audience but the singer too.
My friend Teddy, told me about how music was transforming his life and making him think differently about issues of life. At one point, I wondered what he was talking about, but I was keen to listen to him to get the gist of the matter. It was not long before he showed me some device that he said he had used to store some music for his consumption when in a relaxed mood (Pinch, 13). I was eager to know why the music had transformed him to an extent that he felt so much attached to the device and the music in it. He told me about the songs that were basically love songs. The lyrics of the music, he said had transformed his ideas about relationships and respect for the opposite gender. In fact he said the music had taught him what to do in any given relationship and how one could carry out him or herself in a given relationship (Nye, 4). That must have been very amazing considering the impact the music had heard of him.
As I listened to some music on the stereo, I was carried away by the music of the yester years. I thought to myself how life had changed. One thing I noted was that the music in the past did not at one point meet the standards of the modern music. One notable thing was that the music had undergone immense transformations and in fact had become better over the years. The appeal has been tremendous. The classical music I listened to appealed to me emotionally as it took me several years back when I had some issues of life. It thus notable that the music in connection to sound technology has transformed our lifestyle and beliefs. Music has to some extent been a modeling factor on how we think and reason. Sound technology has made it possible for the music to have an impact in the human race because of the advancements over the years. If not for music many things would still be unknown to the generation that is and the generation that would become. A lot has changed over the years and people have more enlightened compared to 50 years ago when people only hoped for a live music concert. Society has changed for the better.
Conclusion
Sound technology has been exceptionally impactful in changing lives and enlightening the people in one way or the other. People have appreciated the effects of music based on technological advancements and in fact the society has changed to a larger extent. However, it is important to note that music that has gained tremendous popularity through sound technology has got the positives and the negatives (Pinch, 54). While some music has made a significant impact in shaping individuals, it has been negative on some aspects. Music does not define the age groups that are to listen to some sought of music. Therefore we have had some music have undue influence over some people especially the young generation. Some music does not meet the moral objectives of society and thus has become a major problem. While some have argued that sound has to be controlled in relation to music, others have objected saying the times have changed (Nye, 9). Sound technology has thus had a great impact on the music industry that has to a large extent influenced our way of life and culture.
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Pinch, Trevor & Bijsterveld, Karin. Sound Studies: New Technologies and Music. Social Studies
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