There is no doubt that mediation has become a central issue outside formal music education. An outstanding example of this is digital music and its dependence on the new technologies of production, dissemination, and consuming. In this paper, the author argues that (1) mediation is one of the most important aspects of digital artistry and that (2)…

Lucy Green's (2008) "Music, Informal Learning, and the School: A New Classroom Pedagogy" gives rise to an interesting corollary. Does the manner of music's transmission inform one's understanding of a musical category? While categories of music can be difficult to define according to strict musical characteristics, a better understanding of…

Based on the argument that (contrary to critical opinion) the musicians in the various bands associated with Bosstown Sound were indeed talented, cohesive individuals and that the bands' lack of renown was partially a result of ill-treatment by record companies and the press, this paper traces the development of the Bosstown Sound from its…

It is ironic that the barometer of progress for Blacks has been their success in the performing arts. The film industry has historically shaped and reflected racist attitudes toward Blacks, while the popular music industry still segregates and exploits Black artists. (Author/GC)

In this interview, popular composer and recording artist Chuck Mangione discusses his own musical background and his views on music education, including the workshops he conducts for student musicians. This article is part of a theme issue on popular music. (SJL)

Despite the international success of reggae music, a survey of Jamaican recording artists revealed disillusionment, anger and frustration with the national recording industry. Various artists identified a lack of professional ethics and discipline, and above all, lack of an updated copyright law as being at the root of the problem. Since Jamaica…

Argues that the recording of music is both an act of social control and of aesthetics. Suggests that the remixing of previously recorded music to create a new recording is itself a form of artistic expression. Concludes that the possibility of remixing creates unending possibilities for artistic collaboration. (SG)

A short history of black pop music includes artists who have changed pop music or culture and highlights from the 1920s into the 1980s, from Fats Waller to Michael Jackson. In black pop music, there is a direct line of influence from the sharecropper to the current Top 40. (SLD)

The hybrid music of the group "Kid Creole and the Coconuts" shows traces of every popular music style that has aroused New York City during the past 40 years--big band swing, Latin dance music, calypso, reggae, disco, funk, soul, rock, and movie pop. The fictitious characters the members of the band assume on stage, together with their…

In each era in which white jazz musicians have received acclaim, black musicians have been the true innovators. Black jazz musicians of the past and contemporary artists are discussed. Although they may not receive the publicity they deserve, black musicians will continue in the forefront of jazz. (SLD)

Black popular music has its roots in African music that was a way of preserving history. A brief social and cultural history traces black popular music in the United States, focusing on the music blacks listened to, rather than just the music blacks played. (SLD)

This paper presents an elaboration of the relationship between politics and music video, to discern if the political climate impacts upon the cultural landscape. The paper analyzes in detail Don Henley's "The End of Innocence" because Henley is a prominent political activist and views music as a vehicle for change. The paper also makes…

"Bosstown Sound" was a slogan used to promote several Boston (Massachusetts) rock bands in 1968. In theory, the Bosstown Sound was a logical development to follow the San Francisco "sound," which included the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape, and other Bay Area bands that had been commercially successful in 1967.…

Rock videos have their antecedents in film and television images, although music in films is usually background music. Television made possible the live transmission of musical numbers with visuals. The musical television commercial is an amalgam of conventions, with background music suddenly erupting into text, unheard by the characters but…

This paper identifies and examines a textual practice of female address in music video, and considers its appeal among a social audience of female adolescents. Textual strategies that inflect, appropriate, or bypass the prevailing male adolescence discourse on the American music video channel, MTV, are presented from the standpoint of their…