- Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Musikwissenschaft und Musikpädagogik, Faculty Memberadd
- Musicology, Popular musicology, History of Popular Music, Popular Music & Gender, Popular Music, Popular Music Studies, and 9 morePopular Music In Germany, Aesthetics of Popular Music, Psychology of Music, Country Music, American Country Music, Country Music Studies, Philosophy of Music, Contemporary Music, and Authenticity in Popular Musicedit
- Ralf von Appen holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Gießen, Germany, where he has been working as a tea... moreRalf von Appen holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Gießen, Germany, where he has been working as a teaching and research assistant since 2004. He has published widely about the history, psychology, aesthetics and analysis of popular music and presented papers at conferences in England, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. In 2009/10 he was a visiting professor at the institute for musicology at the university of Vienna.
Von Appen has been a chairman of the German Society for Popular Music Studies (GfPM, www.popularmusikforschung.de) since 2008 and is co-editor of their online journal SAMPLES (www.gfpm-samples.de).edit
Popmusik wirkt mit an der Affirmation und Repräsentation nationaler Gemeinschaften und ihrer Werte. Daher ist in Zeiten des vielerorts erstarkenden Nationalismus und Rechtspopulismus ein wissenschaftlich-kritischer Blick auf die... more
Popmusik wirkt mit an der Affirmation und Repräsentation nationaler Gemeinschaften und ihrer Werte. Daher ist in Zeiten des vielerorts erstarkenden Nationalismus und Rechtspopulismus ein wissenschaftlich-kritischer Blick auf die Beziehungen von Pop und »Nation« dringend geboten. Neben grundsätzlichen Gedanken zum Konzept »Nation« liefern die Beiträger*innen des Bandes Fallstudien zum deutschen Blick auf (vermeintlich) französische, irische und italienische Popmusik, zu österreichischen Genres und deren Verhältnis zur internationalen Musikwelt sowie zu Zuschreibungen des »typisch Deutschen«. Als gemeinsamer Nenner zeigt sich dabei immer wieder, wie konstruiert die Vorstellungen von »Nation« und des »Typischen« sind.
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Populäre Musik macht Angebote zur soziokulturellen Orientierung und Positionierung ihrer Hörer*innen. Damit verbunden sind Machtstrukturen – etwa im Verhältnis der Geschlechter, der Generationen, Ethnien oder sozialen Milieus –, die... more
Populäre Musik macht Angebote zur soziokulturellen Orientierung und Positionierung ihrer Hörer*innen. Damit verbunden sind Machtstrukturen – etwa im Verhältnis der Geschlechter, der Generationen, Ethnien oder sozialen Milieus –, die populäre Musik reproduzieren, aber auch aufbrechen kann, sodass Des- oder Neuorientierungen entstehen können. Die Beiträge dieses Bandes analysieren solche Prozesse kritisch und auf mehreren Ebenen: vom Neosexismus in Indie Rock und feministischen Gegenstrategien, über sexualisierte Afrika-Bilder und osteuropäische Hardbass-Szenen bis zum Entwurf posthumaner Welten in Videoclips. Darüber hinaus werden Leitvorstellungen der Musikpädagogik hinterfragt und Vorschläge für methodologische Neuorientierungen der wissenschaftlichen Auseinandersetzung mit populärer Musik formuliert.
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Pop weiter denken versammelt Aufsätze, die sich diesem Motto auf zwei Weisen nähern: Zum einen wollen sie populäre Musik weiter denken, den Begriff also öffnen und einen stilistisch breiteren und historisch umfassenderen Zugang abbilden.... more
Pop weiter denken versammelt Aufsätze, die sich diesem Motto auf zwei Weisen nähern: Zum einen wollen sie populäre Musik weiter denken, den Begriff also öffnen und einen stilistisch breiteren und historisch umfassenderen Zugang abbilden. Zum anderen will der Band Ansätze der Popforschung weiterdenken, also wieder aufgreifen und fortspinnen, die einst selbstverständliche Bestandteile des Denkens über Musik waren, in den letzten Jahren aber aus unserem Blickfeld geraten sind: die aktuelle Jazzforschung und die Musikphilosophie. In diesem Kontext werden auch musiktheoretische Zugänge zu populärer Musik weiter gedacht, die in den USA seit vielen Jahren selbstverständlich und fruchtbar, hierzulande indes kaum gebräuchlich sind.
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Existing books on the analysis of popular music focus on theory and methodology, and normally discuss parts of songs briefly as examples. The impression often given is that songs are being chosen simply to illuminate and exemplify a... more
Existing books on the analysis of popular music focus on theory and methodology, and normally discuss parts of songs briefly as examples. The impression often given is that songs are being chosen simply to illuminate and exemplify a theoretical position. In this book the obverse is true: songs take centre stage and are given priority. The authors analyse and interpret them intensively from a variety of theoretical positions that illuminate the song. Thus, methods and theories have to prove their use value in the face of a heterogeneous, contemporary repertoire. The book brings together researchers from very different cultural backgrounds and encourages them to compare their different hearings and to discuss the ways in which they make sense of specific songs.
All songs analysed are from the new millennium, most of them not older than three years. Because the most widely popular styles are too often ignored by academics, this book aims to shed light on how million sellers work musically. Therefore, it encompasses a broad palette, highlighting mainstream pop (Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Lucenzo, Amy McDonald), but also accounting for critically acclaimed ‘indie’ styles (Fleet Foxes, Death Cab for Cutie, PJ Harvey), R&B (Destiny’s Child, Janelle Monae), popular hard rock (Kings of Leon, Rammstein), and current electronic music (Andrés, Björk). By concentrating on 13 well-known songs, this book offers some model analyses that can very easily be studied at home or used in seminars and classrooms for students of popular music at all academic levels.
All songs analysed are from the new millennium, most of them not older than three years. Because the most widely popular styles are too often ignored by academics, this book aims to shed light on how million sellers work musically. Therefore, it encompasses a broad palette, highlighting mainstream pop (Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Lucenzo, Amy McDonald), but also accounting for critically acclaimed ‘indie’ styles (Fleet Foxes, Death Cab for Cutie, PJ Harvey), R&B (Destiny’s Child, Janelle Monae), popular hard rock (Kings of Leon, Rammstein), and current electronic music (Andrés, Björk). By concentrating on 13 well-known songs, this book offers some model analyses that can very easily be studied at home or used in seminars and classrooms for students of popular music at all academic levels.
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Was bietet uns Musik, dass wir ihr so viel Zeit und Geld opfern? Wie soll sie beschaffen sein, damit sie die hohen Erwartungen erfüllt? Warum riskieren wir für sie das Gehör, warum gehen wir das Risiko illegaler Downloads ein? Um... more
Was bietet uns Musik, dass wir ihr so viel Zeit und Geld opfern? Wie soll sie beschaffen sein, damit sie die hohen Erwartungen erfüllt? Warum riskieren wir für sie das Gehör, warum gehen wir das Risiko illegaler Downloads ein?
Um individuelle Bewertungen von Musik – und damit zusammenhängend: den Wert der Musik für den Menschen – zu verstehen, analysiert die Studie zunächst intensiv »Amazon«-Kundenrezensionen aktueller Alben von Robbie Williams, Eminem, The Strokes, Bob Dylan, Norah Jones u.a., um die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse dann aus der Perspektive gegenwärtiger philosophischer Ästhetik zu interpretieren.
Um individuelle Bewertungen von Musik – und damit zusammenhängend: den Wert der Musik für den Menschen – zu verstehen, analysiert die Studie zunächst intensiv »Amazon«-Kundenrezensionen aktueller Alben von Robbie Williams, Eminem, The Strokes, Bob Dylan, Norah Jones u.a., um die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse dann aus der Perspektive gegenwärtiger philosophischer Ästhetik zu interpretieren.
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Die Geschichte und die vielfältigen gesellschaftlichen und medialen Kontexte populärer Musik rücken immer stärker ins Blickfeld der internationalen Forschung. Der Band Populäre Musik bietet einen lebendig gestalteten Überblick über... more
Die Geschichte und die vielfältigen gesellschaftlichen und medialen Kontexte populärer Musik rücken immer stärker ins Blickfeld der internationalen Forschung. Der Band Populäre Musik bietet einen lebendig gestalteten Überblick über zentrale Forschungsthemen wie Ästhetik, Medientechnologien sowie soziale und wirtschaftliche Rahmenbedingungen von Produktion, Präsentation und Rezeption populärer Musik und richtet sich dabei an einen breiten Interessentenkreis, der sowohl Wissenschaftler und Studenten als auch Laien umfasst. Ein Serviceteil gibt Hinweise zu Methoden und Ressourcen der Popmusikforschung und bietet einen Einstieg zur weiteren Beschäftigung mit diesen spannenden Phänomenen.
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This paper discusses the concepts of authenticity, liveness, and staging in reference to live performances of popular music. It aims to analyze social and individual functions of authenticity, and to develop awareness for the different... more
This paper discusses the concepts of authenticity, liveness, and staging in reference to live performances of popular music. It aims to analyze social and individual functions of authenticity, and to develop awareness for the different strategies employed to suggest authenticity on stage.
In the first section, the author differentiates between four types of authenticities: personal, socio-cultural, executional, and emotional. He adopts definitions of liveness and staging from theater studies, applies them to the field of popular music, and shows how the ideals of liveness and authenticity are necessarily in conflict with the staged character of public performances because spectators can never be sure about the extent to which performances are enacted or reveal something »authentic.«
In a second section, current stage performances of such differing acts as
Metallica, Die Toten Hosen, Pet Shop Boys, and Adele are analyzed to show how musicians deal with this conflict and how they try to fulfill expectations concerning all four dimensions of authenticity. Their strategies include, among others, performing »unplugged,« leaving room for moments of interaction and spontaneity, using downsized stages, or frankly exposing the artificial character of the performance (»authentic inauthenticity«).
Overall, the analyses show that authenticity ― no matter how staged it is — is still a very important value in different styles of popular music. The paper closes with considerations about deeper cultural reasons for the increased longing for authenticity in the arts.
In the first section, the author differentiates between four types of authenticities: personal, socio-cultural, executional, and emotional. He adopts definitions of liveness and staging from theater studies, applies them to the field of popular music, and shows how the ideals of liveness and authenticity are necessarily in conflict with the staged character of public performances because spectators can never be sure about the extent to which performances are enacted or reveal something »authentic.«
In a second section, current stage performances of such differing acts as
Metallica, Die Toten Hosen, Pet Shop Boys, and Adele are analyzed to show how musicians deal with this conflict and how they try to fulfill expectations concerning all four dimensions of authenticity. Their strategies include, among others, performing »unplugged,« leaving room for moments of interaction and spontaneity, using downsized stages, or frankly exposing the artificial character of the performance (»authentic inauthenticity«).
Overall, the analyses show that authenticity ― no matter how staged it is — is still a very important value in different styles of popular music. The paper closes with considerations about deeper cultural reasons for the increased longing for authenticity in the arts.
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Research Interests: Cultural Studies, Music Theory, Popular Music Studies, Popular Music, Popular Culture, and 12 moreContemporary Music, Music analysis, Popular musicology, Music Theory and Music Analysis, Música, Popular Music and Culture, Rock Music, Musikwissenschaft, Popular Music Analysis, Pop and Rock Music, Musiktheorie, and Popular Music and Popular Culture, Critical Theory and Cultural Studies
This paper deals with different dimensions of the formal construction of songs in 20th century popular music. First, it proposes that the form of songs is not only an obligatory starting point for analysis but is actually itself a... more
This paper deals with different dimensions of the formal construction of songs in 20th century popular music. First, it proposes that the form of songs is not only an obligatory starting point for analysis but is actually itself a worthwhile object of interpretation. It explains how the analysis of the formal song structure can pro-duce meaningful insights on a semantic, symbolic, and functional level. Secondly, the authors provide a critical discussion on the use of prevalent terms such as cho-rus, refrain, verse, bridge, etc. They show that a study of the historical evolution both of constituent song parts, and of song forms in general, is necessary to over-come the internal contradictions and incompatibilities of the current terminology.
This approach is the center of this paper. It refers to the authors’ analysis of c. 3000 songs spanning the whole 20th century with a focus on the decisive years 1920 to 1970. Illustrating the results with a large number of examples, the authors trace the development of the AABA-form, various verse/chorus-forms, the evolution of the prechorus and various other song parts, and song form models. The findings are supported by statistical data based on the US Billboard Top 100, and show the prevalence of certain models as well as specific trends in historic change.
Finally, the paper shows that the awareness of formal conventions and parti¬culari-ties can be an essential pre-condition for the analysis of popular music’s cultural meanings.
This approach is the center of this paper. It refers to the authors’ analysis of c. 3000 songs spanning the whole 20th century with a focus on the decisive years 1920 to 1970. Illustrating the results with a large number of examples, the authors trace the development of the AABA-form, various verse/chorus-forms, the evolution of the prechorus and various other song parts, and song form models. The findings are supported by statistical data based on the US Billboard Top 100, and show the prevalence of certain models as well as specific trends in historic change.
Finally, the paper shows that the awareness of formal conventions and parti¬culari-ties can be an essential pre-condition for the analysis of popular music’s cultural meanings.
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For this article the authors analysed thirty-eight lists of ‘The 100 greatest albums of all time’ type. As the findings demonstrate, a canon of popular music has evolved which shows strong tendencies towards stability in featuring albums... more
For this article the authors analysed thirty-eight lists of ‘The 100 greatest albums of all time’ type. As the findings demonstrate, a canon of popular music has evolved which shows strong tendencies towards stability in featuring albums from the late 1960s (especially those by The Beatles), while only a few albums from the 1990s have gained ‘classic’ status. The canon's contents and exclusions are explained by the social dispositions of the participants, predominantly white males aged twenty to forty. Influenced by efforts of the cultural industries, these actors also evaluate certain albums for the purposes of distinguishing themselves from the ‘mainstream’. Furthermore, aesthetic and artistic criteria underlying the esteem of the ‘masterworks’ are identified by analysing reviews. The authors suggest that future research on canonisation should interlock sociological and aesthetic perspectives. Findings from such an approach might initiate reflection among music fans about their own exclusions, and result in an opening up of the meaning and significance of the canon.
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Music recycling. Forms of intertextuality in popular music as exemplified by Irving Berlin and KRS-One This chapter shows the manifold ways in which intertextual references are used in popular music. Taking as a starting point Irving... more
Music recycling. Forms of intertextuality in popular music as exemplified by Irving Berlin and KRS-One
This chapter shows the manifold ways in which intertextual references are used in popular music. Taking as a starting point Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911) and the plethora of references to it in other songs, the authors discuss musical and lyrical quotations, allusions, plagiarism, parody, collage, pastiche, contrafactum, travesty, and different kinds of answer song. In the second half, they analyse how the hiphop track “MC’s Act Like They Just Don’t Know” by KRS-One (1995) uses samples, scratches, lyrical quotations, and other references. It is shown how recycling earlier music has been important throughout the history of popular music and that criticising it as unoriginal misses the point. Although recipients cannot always detect the origin of samples and quotations, they are often attracted by their humour, ambiguity, and potential hidden meanings. Musicians, on the other hand, use references to distinguish themselves, to pay homage, to show their artistry, or to define their audience. In hiphop especially, references to other cultural products play an essential role in constructing authenticity and the performer’s artistic identity.
This chapter shows the manifold ways in which intertextual references are used in popular music. Taking as a starting point Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911) and the plethora of references to it in other songs, the authors discuss musical and lyrical quotations, allusions, plagiarism, parody, collage, pastiche, contrafactum, travesty, and different kinds of answer song. In the second half, they analyse how the hiphop track “MC’s Act Like They Just Don’t Know” by KRS-One (1995) uses samples, scratches, lyrical quotations, and other references. It is shown how recycling earlier music has been important throughout the history of popular music and that criticising it as unoriginal misses the point. Although recipients cannot always detect the origin of samples and quotations, they are often attracted by their humour, ambiguity, and potential hidden meanings. Musicians, on the other hand, use references to distinguish themselves, to pay homage, to show their artistry, or to define their audience. In hiphop especially, references to other cultural products play an essential role in constructing authenticity and the performer’s artistic identity.
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This paper deals with different dimensions of the formal construction of songs in 20th century popular music. First, it proposes that the form of songs is not only an obligatory (albeit formalistic) starting point for analysis but is... more
This paper deals with different dimensions of the formal construction of songs in 20th century popular music. First, it proposes that the form of songs is not only an obligatory (albeit formalistic) starting point for analysis but is actually itself a worthwhile object of interpretation. It explains how the analysis of the formal song structure can produce meaningful insights on a semantic, symbolic, and functional level. Secondly, the authors provide a critical discussion on the use of prevalent terms such as chorus, refrain, verse, bridge, etc. They show that a study of the historical evolution both of constituent song parts, and of song forms in general, is necessary to overcome the internal contradictions and incompatibilities of the current terminology.
This approach is the center of this paper. It refers to the authors' analysis of c. 2500 songs spanning the whole 20th century with a focus on the decisive years 1920 to 1970. Illustrating the results with a large number of examples, the authors trace the development of the AABA-form, various verse/chorus-forms, the evolution of the pre-chorus and various other song parts, and song form models. The findings are supported by statistical data based on the US Billboard Top 100, and show the prevalence of certain models as well as specific trends in historic change.
Finally, the paper shows that the awareness of formal conventions and parti-cularities can be an essential pre-condition for the analysis of popular music's cultural meanings.
This approach is the center of this paper. It refers to the authors' analysis of c. 2500 songs spanning the whole 20th century with a focus on the decisive years 1920 to 1970. Illustrating the results with a large number of examples, the authors trace the development of the AABA-form, various verse/chorus-forms, the evolution of the pre-chorus and various other song parts, and song form models. The findings are supported by statistical data based on the US Billboard Top 100, and show the prevalence of certain models as well as specific trends in historic change.
Finally, the paper shows that the awareness of formal conventions and parti-cularities can be an essential pre-condition for the analysis of popular music's cultural meanings.
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- Staging Authenticity - This paper discusses the concepts of authenticity, liveness, and staging in refer-ence to live performances of popular music. It aims to analyze social and individual functions of authenticity, and to develop... more
- Staging Authenticity -
This paper discusses the concepts of authenticity, liveness, and staging in refer-ence to live performances of popular music. It aims to analyze social and individual functions of authenticity, and to develop awareness for the different strategies employed to suggest authenticity on stage.
In the first section, the author differentiates between four types of authentici-ties: personal, socio-cultural, executional, and emotional. He adopts definitions of liveness and staging from theater studies, applies them to the field of popular music, and shows how the ideals of liveness and authenticity are necessarily in con-flict with the staged character of public performances because spectators can never be sure about the extent to which performances are enacted or reveal some-thing »authentic.«
In a second section, current stage performances of such differing acts as Metallica, Die Toten Hosen, Pet Shop Boys, and Adele are analyzed to show how musicians deal with this conflict and how they try to fulfill expectations concerning all four dimensions of authenticity. Their strategies include, among others, per-forming »unplugged,« leaving room for moments of interaction and spontaneity, using downsized stages, or frankly exposing the artificial character of the per-formance (»authentic inauthenticity«).
Overall, the analyses show that authenticity ― no matter how staged it is — is still a very important value in different styles of popular music. The paper closes with considerations about deeper cultural reasons for the increased longing for authen¬ticity in the arts.
This paper discusses the concepts of authenticity, liveness, and staging in refer-ence to live performances of popular music. It aims to analyze social and individual functions of authenticity, and to develop awareness for the different strategies employed to suggest authenticity on stage.
In the first section, the author differentiates between four types of authentici-ties: personal, socio-cultural, executional, and emotional. He adopts definitions of liveness and staging from theater studies, applies them to the field of popular music, and shows how the ideals of liveness and authenticity are necessarily in con-flict with the staged character of public performances because spectators can never be sure about the extent to which performances are enacted or reveal some-thing »authentic.«
In a second section, current stage performances of such differing acts as Metallica, Die Toten Hosen, Pet Shop Boys, and Adele are analyzed to show how musicians deal with this conflict and how they try to fulfill expectations concerning all four dimensions of authenticity. Their strategies include, among others, per-forming »unplugged,« leaving room for moments of interaction and spontaneity, using downsized stages, or frankly exposing the artificial character of the per-formance (»authentic inauthenticity«).
Overall, the analyses show that authenticity ― no matter how staged it is — is still a very important value in different styles of popular music. The paper closes with considerations about deeper cultural reasons for the increased longing for authen¬ticity in the arts.
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Popular Music as a Challenge to Music Psychology. A Critical Report Due to a significant separation in the development of the fields of Music Psychology and Popular Music Research in Germany over the past 25 years, there are still few... more
Popular Music as a Challenge to Music Psychology. A Critical Report
Due to a significant separation in the development of the fields of Music Psychology and Popular Music Research in Germany over the past 25 years, there are still few empirical studies focusing on popular music today. This is not necessarily detrimental, considering that it is the aim of psychology to produce systematic findings that are universal and unbound to any specific musical culture. But in fact, ignoring examples from the realm of Popular Music (e.g. in the studies of performance, learning, development or composition) results in conclusions that are not of universal validity and, instead, imply a bourgeois ideology of highbrow culture.
The reasons for the disciplines' isolation from each other partly lie in the individual researchers' socializations and in their increasing specialization. But most of all, both disciplines differ on the much more basic levels of epistemological interest and sociopolitical ambitions. While it is the interest of music psychologists to discover nomothetic laws concerning music-related behavior, experience, and cognition, research in the field of Popular Music Studies tries to understand current developments in our culture by interpreting music as a social indicator. In contrast to the (supposedly) neutral methods of psychology, it sometimes does make value judgments and seeks social change.
If the Psychology of Music is to remain relevant, researchers must consider the most common music of our time more closely and generally will have to increase their attention to music's social and cultural aspects. On the other hand, popular music researchers should no longer hesitate to adopt empirical methodology and should take more notice of the literature of Music Psychology. To increase our knowledge in fields like analysis, aesthetics, identity and distinction, gender or canonization the disciplines need to work together closely.
Due to a significant separation in the development of the fields of Music Psychology and Popular Music Research in Germany over the past 25 years, there are still few empirical studies focusing on popular music today. This is not necessarily detrimental, considering that it is the aim of psychology to produce systematic findings that are universal and unbound to any specific musical culture. But in fact, ignoring examples from the realm of Popular Music (e.g. in the studies of performance, learning, development or composition) results in conclusions that are not of universal validity and, instead, imply a bourgeois ideology of highbrow culture.
The reasons for the disciplines' isolation from each other partly lie in the individual researchers' socializations and in their increasing specialization. But most of all, both disciplines differ on the much more basic levels of epistemological interest and sociopolitical ambitions. While it is the interest of music psychologists to discover nomothetic laws concerning music-related behavior, experience, and cognition, research in the field of Popular Music Studies tries to understand current developments in our culture by interpreting music as a social indicator. In contrast to the (supposedly) neutral methods of psychology, it sometimes does make value judgments and seeks social change.
If the Psychology of Music is to remain relevant, researchers must consider the most common music of our time more closely and generally will have to increase their attention to music's social and cultural aspects. On the other hand, popular music researchers should no longer hesitate to adopt empirical methodology and should take more notice of the literature of Music Psychology. To increase our knowledge in fields like analysis, aesthetics, identity and distinction, gender or canonization the disciplines need to work together closely.
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Instead of being considered ahistorical and »just for the moment,« pop and rock productions are increasingly regarded as autonomous works of cultural significance just as »serious« or »classical« music is. After some introductory... more
Instead of being considered ahistorical and »just for the moment,« pop and rock
productions are increasingly regarded as autonomous works of cultural significance
just as »serious« or »classical« music is. After some introductory reflections concerning
the terminology, we address sociological, psychological and economic functions
and mechanisms of canonisation. We point out similarities between the
popular and the classical realm and identify an underlying common sensibility that
can be seen as the base of canonisation. Subsequently, we describe and analyse the
pop and rock albums which music critics have succeeded in establishing as the current
canon.
We prove empirically that canonising views on popular music have increased
over the last years, both in terms of supply and demand. Finally, we discuss differences
between the »high brow« and the popular canon as well as pedagogic implications
of canonisation. We interpret the current situation according to aspects of
historicism and ahistoricity and conclude by offering a prognosis for future development
productions are increasingly regarded as autonomous works of cultural significance
just as »serious« or »classical« music is. After some introductory reflections concerning
the terminology, we address sociological, psychological and economic functions
and mechanisms of canonisation. We point out similarities between the
popular and the classical realm and identify an underlying common sensibility that
can be seen as the base of canonisation. Subsequently, we describe and analyse the
pop and rock albums which music critics have succeeded in establishing as the current
canon.
We prove empirically that canonising views on popular music have increased
over the last years, both in terms of supply and demand. Finally, we discuss differences
between the »high brow« and the popular canon as well as pedagogic implications
of canonisation. We interpret the current situation according to aspects of
historicism and ahistoricity and conclude by offering a prognosis for future development
In: Populäre Musik. Geschichte - Kontexte - Forschungsperspektiven. Hg. v. Ralf von Appen, Nils Grosch u. Martin Pfleiderer. Laaber: Laaber 2014, S. 123-140.
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This paper deals with the aesthetic ideals the jury of Deutschland sucht den Superstar (DSDS, the German version of Pop Idols) represents. First, their aesthetic values are documented by means of a content analysis. Second, these values... more
This paper deals with the aesthetic ideals the jury of
Deutschland sucht den Superstar (DSDS, the German version of
Pop Idols) represents. First, their aesthetic values are documented by means of a content analysis. Second, these values are compared with valuations given by amateur reviewers of www.amazon.de on current bestselling albums and CDs by
DSDS-contestants. Obviously, the jury esteem
emotional qualities and qualities of the voice more than the reviewers who stress the values of innovation and the quality of the lyrics.
In a further step, the results of the study are related to Gerhard Schulze's description of three everyday-aesthetical attitudes prevalent in German society. It shows that the aesthetic views represented in DSDS correspond to what Schulze
calls »Trivialschema« (the trivial pattern) although the jury members have a different socio-cultural background. Last, the topicality of Theodor W. Adorno's critical views on the cultural industries is pointed out in regard to DSDS.
Deutschland sucht den Superstar (DSDS, the German version of
Pop Idols) represents. First, their aesthetic values are documented by means of a content analysis. Second, these values are compared with valuations given by amateur reviewers of www.amazon.de on current bestselling albums and CDs by
DSDS-contestants. Obviously, the jury esteem
emotional qualities and qualities of the voice more than the reviewers who stress the values of innovation and the quality of the lyrics.
In a further step, the results of the study are related to Gerhard Schulze's description of three everyday-aesthetical attitudes prevalent in German society. It shows that the aesthetic views represented in DSDS correspond to what Schulze
calls »Trivialschema« (the trivial pattern) although the jury members have a different socio-cultural background. Last, the topicality of Theodor W. Adorno's critical views on the cultural industries is pointed out in regard to DSDS.
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This study follows two aims. First, it looks at the biographical importance of playing in a rock band during adolescence for further professional careers as weIl as for the general development of the personalities. Second, it tries to... more
This study follows two aims. First, it looks at the biographical importance of playing in a rock band during adolescence for further professional careers as weIl as for the general development of the personalities. Second, it tries to clear up questions on motivation and on long-term aspects of autodidactic learning. For two thirds of our 18 participants music making remains of a high personal importance six years after their initial engagement in a band. They were able to use music as a means for emotional balance, as a valuable support in finding their own identities and in coping with further problems of adolescence. In retrospect, autodidactic learning is considered an effective way of obtaining the competences pop musicians need. It is the high degree of selfdetermination (Ryan & Deci) that makes autodidactic learning popular and that has a positive influence on keeping up a high intrinsic motivation. Music teachers should consider formal education and informal ways of learning processes that complement and support each other.
Diese Studie verfolgt zwei Ziele: Zum einen wird die berufliche und die persönliche Entwicklung von jungen Erwachsenen untersucht, die in ihrer Schulzeit in einer Rockband gespielt haben. Zum anderen sollen zwei in solchen Bands häufig zu beobachtende Phänomene - das autodidaktische Lernen und die starke Motivation - unter dem Aspekt längerfristiger Entwicklungen analysiert werden. Für zwei Drittel unserer 18 Befragten hat das aktive Musizieren auch sechs Jahre nach ihrem Mitwirken in einer Schülerband noch eine große persönliche Relevanz. Durch ihr Band-Engagement haben die Jugendlichen die Musik als Mittel der Psychohygiene, als wertvolle Unterstützung bei der Identitätsfindung und bei der Bewältigung weiterer Entwicklungsaufgaben nutzen können. Das autodidaktische Lernen wird auch im Nachhinein als sinnvoller Weg angesehen. Vor allem die Möglichkeit der weitgehenden Selbstbestimmung (Ryan & Deci) macht diese Lernform beliebt und durch die daraus resultierende hohe intrinsische Motivation auch sehr effektiv für das Erarbeiten popmusikalischer Kompetenzen. Pädagogen sollten sich zu Nutze machen, dass sich formale musikalische Bildung und informelles Musiklernen als komplementäre Prozesse ergänzen und gegenseitig fördern können.
Diese Studie verfolgt zwei Ziele: Zum einen wird die berufliche und die persönliche Entwicklung von jungen Erwachsenen untersucht, die in ihrer Schulzeit in einer Rockband gespielt haben. Zum anderen sollen zwei in solchen Bands häufig zu beobachtende Phänomene - das autodidaktische Lernen und die starke Motivation - unter dem Aspekt längerfristiger Entwicklungen analysiert werden. Für zwei Drittel unserer 18 Befragten hat das aktive Musizieren auch sechs Jahre nach ihrem Mitwirken in einer Schülerband noch eine große persönliche Relevanz. Durch ihr Band-Engagement haben die Jugendlichen die Musik als Mittel der Psychohygiene, als wertvolle Unterstützung bei der Identitätsfindung und bei der Bewältigung weiterer Entwicklungsaufgaben nutzen können. Das autodidaktische Lernen wird auch im Nachhinein als sinnvoller Weg angesehen. Vor allem die Möglichkeit der weitgehenden Selbstbestimmung (Ryan & Deci) macht diese Lernform beliebt und durch die daraus resultierende hohe intrinsische Motivation auch sehr effektiv für das Erarbeiten popmusikalischer Kompetenzen. Pädagogen sollten sich zu Nutze machen, dass sich formale musikalische Bildung und informelles Musiklernen als komplementäre Prozesse ergänzen und gegenseitig fördern können.
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This paper explores individual evaluations of popular music, especially the relevance of emotional qualities with regard to the experience and evaluation of music. To elucidate common patterns of evaluation more than 1.000 customer... more
This paper explores individual evaluations of popular music, especially the relevance of emotional qualities with regard to the experience and evaluation of music. To elucidate common patterns of evaluation more than 1.000 customer reviews retrieved from the websites of the international online trader Amazon are examined with regard to different dimensions of judgement by means of qualitative content analysis. The reviews concern ten especially successful pop and rock records. Quantitative methods support and extend the results. One outcome is that emotional qualities are of central importance for the concluding evaluation in many customer reviews. Two very different clusters of criteria emerge: first, "feeling" (containing the sub-categories "full of feeling, personal expression, intensity", "relaxation", and "beauty"), and second, "energy" (containing the sub-categories "physical activation, powerful, rocks" as well as "fun, party, positive mood"). The paper depicts the lay-reviewers' views on these categories and shows which of the attributed qualities lead to positive evaluations in concrete examples. Concluding, the results are brought in relation to other historie aesthetics and are interpreted with reference to current philosophical-aesthetic theory.
Vorliegender Beitrag untersucht individuelle Bewertungen populärer Musik, speziell die Bedeutung der Zuschreibung emotionaler Qualitäten für das Erleben und Bewerten der Musik. Um verbreitete Bewertungsmuster zunächst zu dokumentieren, wird eine Stichprobe von über 1.000 Kundenrezensionen der Amazon-Websites zu zehn besonders erfolgreichen Pop- und Rock-CDs inhaltsanalytisch auf zugrunde liegende Bewertungsmuster durchleuchtet. Quantitative Verfahren stützen und erweitern die Resultate. Dabei ergibt sich, dass emotionale Qualitäten in einem großen Teil der Besprechungen ein zentrales Argument darstellen. Diese Qualitäten lassen sich in die Cluster "Gefühl" (mit den Subkategorien "gefühlvoll, persönlicher Ausdruck, Tiefe", "Entspannung" und "Schönheit") sowie "Energie" (mit den Subkategorien "motorische Aktivierung, kraftvoll, rockt" und "macht Spaß, Party, verbessert die Stimmung") differenzieren. Der Beitrag führt aus, was die Laien-Rezensenten mit den jeweiligen Kategorien verbinden und welche Qualitäten im konkreten Fall zu positiven Bewertungen führen. Abschließend werden die ermittelten Werthaltungen zu anderen historischen Ästhetiken in Beziehung gesetzt und vor dem Hintergrund gegenwärtiger philosophisch-ästhetischer Theorie gedeutet.
Vorliegender Beitrag untersucht individuelle Bewertungen populärer Musik, speziell die Bedeutung der Zuschreibung emotionaler Qualitäten für das Erleben und Bewerten der Musik. Um verbreitete Bewertungsmuster zunächst zu dokumentieren, wird eine Stichprobe von über 1.000 Kundenrezensionen der Amazon-Websites zu zehn besonders erfolgreichen Pop- und Rock-CDs inhaltsanalytisch auf zugrunde liegende Bewertungsmuster durchleuchtet. Quantitative Verfahren stützen und erweitern die Resultate. Dabei ergibt sich, dass emotionale Qualitäten in einem großen Teil der Besprechungen ein zentrales Argument darstellen. Diese Qualitäten lassen sich in die Cluster "Gefühl" (mit den Subkategorien "gefühlvoll, persönlicher Ausdruck, Tiefe", "Entspannung" und "Schönheit") sowie "Energie" (mit den Subkategorien "motorische Aktivierung, kraftvoll, rockt" und "macht Spaß, Party, verbessert die Stimmung") differenzieren. Der Beitrag führt aus, was die Laien-Rezensenten mit den jeweiligen Kategorien verbinden und welche Qualitäten im konkreten Fall zu positiven Bewertungen führen. Abschließend werden die ermittelten Werthaltungen zu anderen historischen Ästhetiken in Beziehung gesetzt und vor dem Hintergrund gegenwärtiger philosophisch-ästhetischer Theorie gedeutet.
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Das Thema „Liebe“ in den Songs der Pet Shop Boys zu verfolgen, verspricht vor dem Hintergrund der Fragen, die das Symposium verhandeln will, besonders ergiebig zu sein. Obwohl sie musikalisch immer Mainstream, in der Mitte der... more
Das Thema „Liebe“ in den Songs der Pet Shop Boys zu verfolgen, verspricht vor dem Hintergrund der Fragen, die das Symposium verhandeln will, besonders ergiebig zu sein. Obwohl sie musikalisch immer Mainstream, in der Mitte der Gesellschaft, sein will, nimmt die Band in ihren Texten häufig die Position eines außenstehenden Beobachters ein. Geprägt ist ihre Position dabei von ihrer starken Abgrenzung vom Rock-Kanon der 60er und 70er Jahre und den dort dominanten Männlichkeits- und Liebesstereotypen sowie der eigenen Homosexualität, die allerdings selten offen thematisiert wird und eher einen Subtext liefert. Ihre oft kühl, fast emotionslos vorgetragenen Songs über Zweierbeziehungen lassen sich häufig als reflektierter Gesellschaftskommentar lesen. Über Liebe wird dabei nicht in Form eines unmittelbaren Gefühlsausdrucks gesungen, sondern meist uneigentlich, inszeniert, durch eine Maske. Als Beispiele aus der über 30-jährigen Karriere dienen „Rent“, „Love etc.“ und „Love is a Bourgeois Construct“.
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Live on "On Point" with Tom Ashbrook, NPR, Feb. 2nd 2015
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The GfPM (German Society for Popular Music Studies) and the University of Osnabrueck are inviting applications for participation in the 2nd International Summer School “Methods of Popular Music Analysis” at the Institute of Musicology... more
The GfPM (German Society for Popular Music Studies) and the University of Osnabrueck are inviting applications for participation in the 2nd International Summer School “Methods of Popular Music Analysis” at the Institute of Musicology and Music Pedagogy in Osnabrueck, Germany, from Monday 14th to Friday 18th September 2015.
The summer school is addressed to postgraduates and Ph.D. students who are currently working on a research project that involves analytical approaches towards popular music. The summer school offers seminars by invited lecturers on key topics of popular music analysis and work in small groups of participants on joint analyses. Language of seminars and lectures will be English.
Lecturers will be
Prof. Dr. Anne Danielsen (University of Oslo, Norway)
Prof. Dr. Walter Everett (University of Michigan, USA)
Prof. Dr. Allan F. Moore (University of Surrey, UK)
Prof. Dr. Mark J. Butler (Northwestern University, Evanston, USA)
Dr. Samantha Bennett (Australian National University, Canberra, Australia)
Dr. Dai Griffiths (Oxford Brookes University, UK)
Dr. Ralf von Appen (University of Giessen, Germany)
Dr. André Doehring (University of Giessen, Germany)
Prof. Dr. Dietrich Helms (Osnabrueck University, Germany)
The proceedings of the 1st summer school are published in Song Interpretation in 21st Century Pop Music, ed. by Appen/Doehring/Helms/Moore, Ashgate 2015 (for more information cf. http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9781472428004). More details on the programme of the summer school will appear on our websites: www.popular-music.uni-osnabrueck.de and www.popularmusikforschung.de
The summer school is funded by the Volkswagen Stiftung. The foundation will come up for your accommodation costs. Travelling costs for 2nd class railway tickets or economy class flights can be funded with up to 600 Euro (approx. 640 US Dollar) for overseas, 300 Euro for European and 150 Euro for German participants (if not paid for by your home institution). Childcare will be provided if needed. The participation fee is 140 Euro.
The deadline for applications is May 15th. The 25 accepted applicants will be notified by May 31st.
Applications should include
- an academic CV incl. a documentation of postgraduate or doctoral status (e.g. copy of a certificate)
- a short description of a) your current project in popular music research and b) of your motivation for participating in our summer school (max. 900 words in total).
Please state if you will need day care for your child(ren).
Applications should be emailed to popularmusic@uni-osnabrueck.de.
Prof. Dr. Dietrich Helms – Dr. Ralf von Appen – Dr. André Doehring
The summer school is addressed to postgraduates and Ph.D. students who are currently working on a research project that involves analytical approaches towards popular music. The summer school offers seminars by invited lecturers on key topics of popular music analysis and work in small groups of participants on joint analyses. Language of seminars and lectures will be English.
Lecturers will be
Prof. Dr. Anne Danielsen (University of Oslo, Norway)
Prof. Dr. Walter Everett (University of Michigan, USA)
Prof. Dr. Allan F. Moore (University of Surrey, UK)
Prof. Dr. Mark J. Butler (Northwestern University, Evanston, USA)
Dr. Samantha Bennett (Australian National University, Canberra, Australia)
Dr. Dai Griffiths (Oxford Brookes University, UK)
Dr. Ralf von Appen (University of Giessen, Germany)
Dr. André Doehring (University of Giessen, Germany)
Prof. Dr. Dietrich Helms (Osnabrueck University, Germany)
The proceedings of the 1st summer school are published in Song Interpretation in 21st Century Pop Music, ed. by Appen/Doehring/Helms/Moore, Ashgate 2015 (for more information cf. http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9781472428004). More details on the programme of the summer school will appear on our websites: www.popular-music.uni-osnabrueck.de and www.popularmusikforschung.de
The summer school is funded by the Volkswagen Stiftung. The foundation will come up for your accommodation costs. Travelling costs for 2nd class railway tickets or economy class flights can be funded with up to 600 Euro (approx. 640 US Dollar) for overseas, 300 Euro for European and 150 Euro for German participants (if not paid for by your home institution). Childcare will be provided if needed. The participation fee is 140 Euro.
The deadline for applications is May 15th. The 25 accepted applicants will be notified by May 31st.
Applications should include
- an academic CV incl. a documentation of postgraduate or doctoral status (e.g. copy of a certificate)
- a short description of a) your current project in popular music research and b) of your motivation for participating in our summer school (max. 900 words in total).
Please state if you will need day care for your child(ren).
Applications should be emailed to popularmusic@uni-osnabrueck.de.
Prof. Dr. Dietrich Helms – Dr. Ralf von Appen – Dr. André Doehring