Adventures in Genre land
Follow this link (Links to an external site.), to the website “Every Noise at Once.” Take some time to explore the hundreds of genre samples (be sure to scroll down). By clicking on the double arrow that reveals next to each genre label you can explore that category in depth. The sheer number of genre’s makes its own point about the bewildering and often tribal isolation embedded in our traditional approach to genre. After spending some time pick four different genres from the web site and rank them from most attractive to least attractive. By “attractive” I mean only how much you want to hear it again.
In your response to this post please do the following:
1) Provide your genre list in ranked order. I will assume that the sample piece represents your choice unless you specify otherwise. In other words, when you dig into each genre you will get multiple examples.
2) Discuss briefly what you were responding to in your ranking.
3) Present an analysis of your top and bottom choices (2 total) in terms of “Arousal, Valence, and Depth,” per the article, “Music Genres Re-Sorted into 3 Clusters Linked to Personality.”
When you respond to your classmate, be sure to listen to their list before you respond. Compare your response to the music of your classmate’s list with their own characterization.
For my bottom choice, Tropical House, the arousal is very high with an upbeat, party-like aura. Its fast, electronic beat plays throughout the song while trying to induce positive, happy feelings. However, I feel that there is less valence to the artist’s lyrics and melodies. Many of the songs I heard in this genre were very generic and embody the conventions used in songs frequently played on the radio. The songs didn’t give me much room for interpretation, as the melodies and lyrics were direct and simple. Although, I can still see how this genre can appeal to people through the catchiness of the rhythm and flow.
