Unequivocally, music is significantly known for entertainment. However, in the earlier centuries, there existed atrocities that got subjected to the public. The populace never appreciated atrocities. For the mentioned reason, specific artist invented a type of music that got used as an essential tool in social commentary. Categorically, myriad musicians employed the use of music as a social commentary across the United States of America and even outside the States. The paper, therefore, endeavors to extrapolate on music as a commentary. Similarly, it aims at establishing why music got used as a commentary coupled with the few artists who employed the mentioned commentary.
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Music as commentary connotes to the use of music in as a means of rebelling or standing against an act that gets viewed to be of an unpleasant nature to myriad individuals. Through the use of music as commentary, artists aimed at implementing or enhancing change. The implementation of change was by particularly informing the general public concerning a cited problem and thereby, appealing to the populace sense of justice (Garland 239). Myriad music artists or composers in the past used the cited commentary. Upon realizing its positive feedback and consideration, the use of music as commentary has increasingly grown and expanded. Currently, innumerable artists have employed the suggested means of commentary, and the fruits are undoubtedly inevitable.
Prevalently there exist myriad reasons as to why music got implemented as a commentary. Primarily, music as commentary significantly united the affected individuals. Through a unified group, the cited individuals could act with utmost strength and effort. Categorically, music instigated actions by unifying individuals towards a universal goal. In the past for instance, there existed myriad discriminations based on race and color. The mentioned discriminatory elements adversely affected the target individuals. Illustratively, both artists and groups from the challenged localities commenced to agitate against the cited vice through the use of music. Typically, music as a commentary conveyed the desired message indirectly. Through indirect delivery, artists became safe from explicitly being victimized by the targeted group or state. Additionally, there exist different forms of commentary in relaying information such as public speaking, as well as, the use of publications. Nevertheless, the use of music was the most convenient and reliable source of communication in comparison with other commentaries (White & Walker 43). Music, therefore, became the significantly used approach as a commentary. Additionally, a specific message could get delivered in many distinct ways by different artists, thereby making the message comprehended by innumerable number of populace. For instance, myriad artists presented the atrocities of discrimination in different ways but the message was often universal. The cited universality promoted the interpretation of the music, thus, enlightening the populace against the menace that befell them. Moreover, music was an extremely fast method of communicating to innumerable people at the same time. Also, music once recorded and shown to the public could not be easily manipulated (White 170). The originality of the commentary in the music remained firm, thereby, encouraging implementation of relevant actions such as peaceful demonstrations. For the mentioned reasons, both the artists and the populace recognized the use of music as a commentary.
Prevalently, music as commentary established its grounds in the social aspect of the populace lives. Most of the problems or rather the challenges the people encountered were social. The cited issues included discrimination against color coupled with gender and race. Therefore, artists and composers from the cited backgrounds emerged to express their discontent through music (Russell 455). Additionally, the music as a commentary significantly starred among the poor populace who got faced by hardships in self and family sustenance. The suggested populace allegedly got neglected by the state, and the only means of relaying their issues thus become through music. Undeniably, music as a commentary gets used in myriad locations. Illustratively, myriad organizations use music in delivering information of their concerns to the state. Also, religious groups frequently employ the use of music a commentary. The cited religious groups often try to elaborate on the positivity of being Holly and the avoidance of committing sinful acts. Typically, the young generation majorly composed of the youth has adopted the use of music a commentary. Myriad youths employ music in denouncing specific parenting styles such as the authoritarian style that prove to be unfavorable. Also, the disabled in the society have used the music to express their displeasure on how they get treated by the physically complete individuals. The mentioned is evident on the present blind and physically challenged individuals who have continuously sang to agitate for a rightful consideration in the society.
Accordingly, there exist myriad artist who employed the use of music a commentary both in the past and present. In the past, Abel Meeropol, a Jewish schoolteacher who served as well as a union activist from the city of New York composed the song Strange Fruit. Abel got significantly inspired to write the mentioned song after viewing a picture that involved the lynching of both Abram Smith and Thomas Shipp. Between 1882 -1956 lynching was haphazardly frequent. At the mentioned time duration, approximately 4,700 people got known to have been brutally killed (Friedman 66). Sadly the more than eight percent of the victims were the blacks. Distraught with the alarming issue, Abel felt it was his responsibility to stretch the message concerning the horrors of the inhuman treatment of the African Americans. Similarly, at present in 2003, the Black Eyed Peas released a single music entitled where is the Love. The mentioned song was dealing with the social issue that the Americans faced. The issues included racism, intolerance, United States government insincerity as well as terrorism. The Black Eyed Peas, therefore, brought to light the cited issues that necessitated relevant reforms to get enacted.
Music as a social commentary undoubtedly exposes the evils present in the society. Through the expression of the atrocities indirectly, the responsible perpetrators would get exposed to the light. The fact that music provided a step by step analysis of the problem, its comprehension was undoubtedly easy. Also, music as a commentary proved to instigate unity among individuals who got faced by similar problems. Through unity, individual relentlessly agitated for their desired rights. Typically, myriad fields opted to the uses of music as commentary. The fields include the social aspects, organizations, religious groups, the myriad youths as well as the physically challenged individuals. Typically, music as a commentary has continuously grown compared to the past. The mentioned reason is due to the increasing number of challenges that have proved to be detrimental to the growth and continuous development of the society at large. Conclusively, music as a social commentary have significantly aided in agitating for the rightful share and treatment from the superiors in the society.
Works cited
Friedman, Jonathan C. The Routledge History of Social Protest in Popular Music. United Kingdom: Routledge, 2013.
Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 1. United Kingdom: Routledge, 2013
Russell, William B. Contemporary Social Studies: An Essential Reader. USA: Information Age Publishing. 2011. Print.
White, C. Journeys in Social Education: A Primer: A Primer. Netherlands: Springer Science & Business Media, 2011
White, Cameron, & Walker, Trenia. Tooning in : Essays on Popular Culture and Education. United Kingdom: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008. Print
