Week 5: "The Science of Hit Songs"

In Bjorn Casey’s “The Science of Hit Songs,” he correlates the relationship between popular music and public perception. By taking the results from Matthew Salganik’s study – a sociologist at Columbia University – Casey found that most people make their “music purchases based partly on [their] perceived preferences of others,” (Casey 109). They came to this conclusion by giving participants not only a list of songs, but also how many times each song had been downloaded. And as a result, they found that “regardless of quality,” the participants selected the songs that had been downloaded the most.

At first I was a little skeptical of these results as I naively reasoned that hit songs must be a hit because they’re undeniably good. But then I thought about all the “hit songs” that have played on the radio recently and how devoid of quality some of them are. The lyrics seem like they’re on constant repeat while the beats seem basic and boring. But then Matthew Salganik said something that changed everything – “People are faced with too many options…Since you can’t listen to all of them, a natural shortcut is to listen to what other people are listening to,” (Casey 110). This is especially true in today’s fast paced society where not many people are afforded the time to sit back, relax and check out music all day. Instead, the listeners of today’s society are more inclined to go on Youtube or Pandora and click on the song that has the most hits or views. Even I’m consistently guilty of checking out new songs that were introduced by word of mouth or online and there’s really nothing wrong with that because that’s just the way it is in today’s world.

Week 4: "Accounting for Taste"

We all know the extroverts – you know those friends that are always the life of the party. We all know a couple of introverts too – you know those friends that don’t really say much but you love them anyway…probably because they don’t say much. And most of us think we can identify whether we are extroverts and introverts and most of the time, we’re probably right. But are we right most of the time and how do we account for the differences in everyone’s taste? In “Accounting for Taste,” Eric Gardner attempts to spot the important cues that determine people’s tastes by categorizing people into three different groups: the thrill seekers, the taste hunters and the self-medicators.

However, I found that I did not agree entirely with Gardner’s piece. Although I certainly believe that there are “thrill seekers” and “taste hunters,” I am a little hesitant to group them into one group or the other. And not only did I think he was over generalizing what an extrovert or introvert’s personality was like, but I also felt that many of his observations were conditional. For example, Gardner writes that extroverts usually like going to the movie theatres or like having the TV on. But is it really unlikely for some introverts to enjoy a night at the movie theatre or enjoy a TV show to wind down at night? I believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I believe that most of us have both extrovert and introvert qualities and that’s nothing to be ashamed or confused about.

Week 3: "Rap's Got Roots"

In “Rap’s Got Roots”, Dr. Richard Oliver chronicles the evolution of traditionally black music to modern day rap. Although rap is a fairly recent phenomenon – first appearing out of New York during the late 1970s – Oliver argues that its musical and commercial success is neither lucky nor random. It owes its musical influence to previous genres like Jazz, Bebop, Blues and Rock as well as pioneers like Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder. Moreover, the lessons learned from the unrivaled success and subsequent downfall of Motown Records paved the way for rising artists and entrepreneurs like P. Diddy and Jay-Z to build commercial empires for not only themselves, but for the entire rap industry. Because artists like Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder were willing to step up to the establishment and take control of their own musical production, many rappers are now afforded with more control over all aspects of their music – mostly the finances.

Also much like the rock movement in the 50s and 60s, the rap industry has ran into opposition from the older, conservative generation that disagree with the provocative language and suggestive lyrics about the “gangster life”. However, Oliver writes that rap isn’t just about glorifying the gun-shooting and drug-dealing culture of the inner city (however exaggerated that is already). Rather, it “embodies the music and text of hundreds of years of oppression and dissent” and also serves as a communal experience, “with lots to give and take between the artist and the audience,” (Oliver 50). Like the younger generation of the 50s that seemed to relate with the rebellious and independent nature of rock and roll, many young adults nowadays identify with the attitudes of hip-hop.

Week 2 Writing Blog: "The Last Days of Brother Ray"

In The Last Days of Brother Ray, David Ritz reflects on his life-changing relationship and chronicles –with what I think is completely truthful and honest material – Ray Charles last days battling cancer. The quotes and interactions seem so believable that I can vividly picture the scene. I can imagine Mr. Charles defiantly defending every musical and financial decision with infinite swagger while also finding a healthy balance of humility and confidence in his dying days.

“Ray doesn't fear God. If anything, God fears Ray.” This was the epiphany David Ritz had on a potentially dangerous plane ride to Chicago in 1975. This quote doesn’t literally capture Ray Charles mentality but it captures his philosophy in life. Though he grew up in the influence of the church, his blindness and mother’s death fostered an intense sense of self-sufficiency that carried him through days of hardship and trial – when he was broke and band-less. So although the church influenced his morals and his music, he mentions that he wasn’t overly fond of the thought of Jesus as his savior. At one point he mentions, “Jesus was Jewish, and if he couldn’t convince his own people he was the messiah, why should I be convinced?”

However, cancer has the ability the change everything physically and also philosophically and Ray represents a man who has been humbled by trying times. Here was a man who held an “I don’t owe anyone, anything” attitude and that served him well throughout his career. As David Ritz points out, he made millions, toured the world by being Ray, by being “raw ass country.” No one gave him shit, and he took shit from nobody. But cancer and his newfound dedication to God gave him new perspective. Towards his last days, you find a weaker – but still sharp – Ray who is willing to deflect praise for himself and instead emphasizes the important influences in his life like Nat King Cole. His last days represent the coming of the full circle. He didn’t change because he remained ever true to himself. He just allowed himself to let others into his life to help him.