Economics and Music

[concerto]

Hi, im new here and am writing a paper on how economics affect music. I was hoping that you guys might have a few ideas to stoke the intellectual fire. Here is what I have so far:

1) 100's of years ago music was affected by the economic conditions of its time. Music was a luxury good so when times were good music was more of a priority and used for entertainment, such as in the classical era.

2) Music today is affected by economics in a different way. Economics tends to determine what is written, as in the lyrics of a song.

If any one has more ideas or can help me build off of this it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[Gurn Blanston]

Welcome, Concerto. Hope you get some answers here. I moved your topic here so that it will stay available for a longer time and hopefully get noticed. Where you had it is the busiest section of the forum and topics tend to disappear in a day or two unless they are very popular.



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[concerto]

thank you, I'm just looking for some fresh ideas.

[eyeresist]

1) 100's of years ago music was affected by the economic conditions of its time. Music was a luxury good so when times were good music was more of a priority and used for entertainment, such as in the classical era.

2) Music today is affected by economics in a different way. Economics tends to determine what is written, as in the lyrics of a song.

This seems pretty nebulous to me. Economics always affects the production of music - the question is "who pays?"
As far as classical music goes, it happened like this (bear in mind I'm generalising): In the 18th century, composers relied upon aristocratic patrons or the church to commission work. In the 19th century a mass market developed for concerts and operas, and for sheet-music of music that could be played at home. In the 20th century, the popularity of classical music was reduced by a) new composers going in unpopular directions, b) new music in concert being replaced by canonical favourites, c) composition becoming a product of academic work, rather than produced for a paying audience, d) the rise of mass-marketed pop music recordings. Although classical music has its short catchy "pops", the pop music that rose from jazz is easier to sell to a wider audience, because it tends to exclude complexity.
That's how I see things anyway.

[concerto]

Thanks, you guys have been great. I think I know what angle I'm going to peruse with my paper. However more ideas would always be welcome. Thanks Again!!

[jochanaan]

In many ways, earlier ages were much simpler in musico-economic terms.  If you caught the attention of the Church or a king or nobleman, you were pretty much set; if you weren't, you were out, at least as far as writing big, complex music.  But some decades after Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, there began to be music specifically written for recording.  There was also the difference between "classical" composers and, say, Tin Pan Alley songwriters (of whom George Gershwin was one of the best before he expanded into classical forms).

Now you have several main sources of funding for "our" music:
1. Academia.  Colleges and universities still support composers and on-campus musical groups to perform their music, not all of which is particularly abstruse or dissonant or otherwise inaccessible to "casual music fans."

2. Recording companies--although they're in such disarray now that few serious classical groups rely on label contracts to any great extent.  Many orchestras, including the London and Chicago Symphonies, have begun to release recordings on their own labels.

3. Film producers.  Despite what some "purists" on this board will say, there's a lot of good music in films, and lots of serious musicians write for films.  And some top groups, most notably the London Symphony Orchestra, record for films regularly.

4. Government and civic grants like the National Endowment for the Arts and many local organizations with similar purposes.  Many orchestras in particular rely heavily on government and corporate grants.

[eyeresist]

3. Film producers.  Despite what some "purists" on this board will say, there's a lot of good music in films, and lots of serious musicians write for films.  And some top groups, most notably the London Symphony Orchestra, record for films regularly.

This. Composers who have a great desire to compose, so much as to make a living from it, find film work the best occupation (although video game music may be catching up - the big games often have full orchestral scores).

[Roberto]

1) 100's of years ago music was affected by the economic conditions of its time. Music was a luxury good so when times were good music was more of a priority and used for entertainment, such as in the classical era.
2) Music today is affected by economics in a different way. Economics tends to determine what is written, as in the lyrics of a song.

I don't think there is a big change at the 2 cases you wrote. 100's of years ago music determined by the "customers" and it is the case now also. Different audience - different music. Of course always were composers or musicians who didn't want to serve the market.

[mc ukrneal]

One other area to consider (subset?) is small group or solo music (and some songs too). Some of this was written for 'amateurs' to play at parties, salons, etc. Some also wrote pieces for those learning an instrument, the piano being the most prominent. Yet others wrote their own pieces for their own concerts (something for them to show off their skills). None of this is the main source of income for most (any?) composers, but may help your thesis, whatever that ends up being.

[Roberto]

One other area to consider (subset?) is small group or solo music (and some songs too). Some of this was written for 'amateurs' to play at parties, salons, etc. Some also wrote pieces for those learning an instrument, the piano being the most prominent. Yet others wrote their own pieces for their own concerts (something for them to show off their skills). None of this is the main source of income for most (any?) composers, but may help your thesis, whatever that ends up being.

It reminds me one another thing (but it is not a subset I think): composers who become conductors (in order to conduct their own music also).