Music Scene Research Articles

BTS’ Music Scene from Sociological Perspective: Analysis of Life Goes On Performance

Güney Kore popüler kültür ürünü K-Pop gruplarının pandemi süreciyle birlikte çevrimiçi konserlerini gittikçe arttırdığı görülmektedir. Bu çalışma K-Pop gruplarından BTS’in 2020 Mnet Asya Ödüllerinde sergilediği “Life Goes On” performansını müzik sosyolojisindeki sanal müzik sahnesi perspektifinden incelemektedir. Bu kapsamda YouTube’daki M-Net KPOP sayfasının [2020 MAMA] BTS_Life Goes On videosuna 28.08.2021 tarihi itibariyle bırakılan 15.712 yorum netnografik yöntemle incelenmiştir. Analiz sonucunda hayran yorumlarının 1) Yoongi’nin hologram ile yansıtılmasından dolayı mutluluktan ağlayanlar; 2) Performansı ve sahneyi muhteşem/etkileyici görenler; 3) BTS grubu üyelerini güzel/yakışıklı görenler; 4) BTS grubu üyelerini sevimli/tatlı görenler; 5) BTS grubuna/üyelerine âşık olanlar- sevenler; 6) BTS grubu üyelerini prens/kral gibi görenler; 7) BTS üyelerini melek olarak görenler olmak üzere 7 kategoride incelenebileceği anlaşılmıştır.

Shikhat, Nashat and (Un)serious Theory

Abstract In nashat-loaded circles, the shikha, claiming the center of her pedestal, asks the question: ‘al-hlawa fin kayna?’ (sweetness, where is it?). She pauses tantalizingly and looks around, but no one offers an answer. She inquires again with a smile. As she proceeds, what seems like mere initiation into eroticism and sensuality becomes a deeply philosophical pursuit of the rather far-flung meanings of the female and her body. While the shikha is no academician, she constructs through dance and lyrics a body of thought that navigates across a constellation of dialectics: female prevailing/alternative realities, gaming/thinking, play/seriousness and representation/agency. This article discusses female performers not as the embodiment of the carnivalesque, parodism, playfulness, profanity and voyeurism but as potential theorists in the domain of nashat where speculations on the existence of sweetness can easily become about its absence, deficiency and lack. It also addresses shikhat as potential theory-makers and proto-philosophers oscillating between epistemic margins and centers while leading the popular musical and performative scenes with primordial advice, guidance, teaching and wisdom.

Issues in Radio Music Broadcasting in the Sri Lankan Cultural Environment

The interference of mass media plays a key role in changing people's listening behavior and thinking patterns in numerous ways. Due to technological factors, a majority of Sri Lankans are exposed to “light songs” which are music tracks to last only for three to five minutes. From earlier to present times, almost all recording and reproducing technologies in the island have been used basically for this purpose. Various types of government and private FM channels, TV channels, and social media propagate these forms of songs in the contemporary music scene for different purposes. Because of the commercial benefits and good demand for songs, mobile network companies also promote artists to record songs according to the contemporary taste of the younger generation. This study discusses how Sri Lankan music was stuck to a monocentric stream of light songs due to the fact that the listeners in Sri Lanka are constantly being exposed to “light songs” through radio broadcasting and radio politics.

Андрогинный образ как поиск новой эстетики вестиментарной моды

The article is intended to raise the problem of human androgyny and androgynism as a peculiar philosophical and humanitarian concept. The essence of the concept of “androgynous”, first introduced by ancient mythology, and then expanded by Plato of Athens, is revealed; the understanding of the term by philosophers from Plato to N.A. Berdyaev, and then by psychologist K.G. Jung – is reflected. The causes of the emergence of interest in the androgynous phenomenon in the art of the turn of the century and its connection with women’s emancipa-tion are examined. On the example of Diaghilev’s ballets, the change of ideas about the male body, the possi-bility of combining male strength and female tenderness in it, i.e., androgyny, is considered. The authors ascer-tain the experience of androgyny representation, aesthetics of dandyism by outstanding women of the twenti-eth century – Z. Gippius, G. Garbo, M. Dietrich. The creation of stage androgynous images by representatives of the musical scene of the XX century, who contributed to the loosening of gender boundaries in costume is con-sidered. Particular attention is paid to the search for the place of the androgynous image in the field of modern culture, its influence on increasing the creative potential of the aesthetics of costume, developing vestimentary fashion.

Music as Magic

Music as Magic

PROBLEMS OF LIVE MUSIC CONCERTS: A STUDY OF NORTH EAST INDIA

The findings reveal several key challenges encountered in organizing and executing live music concerts in North-East India. Limited sponsorship opportunities’ and ‘disappointing government funding’ emerge as significant hurdles for concert organizers. The study also uncovers a preference for artists from mainland India over local talent, attributed to their consistent preparation and higher performance standards. Moreover, the study highlights the lack of equipped auditoriums and the need to import amplification equipment, leading to increased costs for organizers. This study employs a qualitative approach to explore the problems faced by live music concerts in North East India. The research had qualitative interviews with concert organizers, performers, and attendees. The research further underscores the impact of weather conditions on outdoor concerts, as the region experiences frequent rain. It emphasizes the importance of having contingency plans and backup venues to ensure uninterrupted performances. Additionally, the study reveals the limited culture of purchasing concert tickets among the local population, requiring tailored ticket distribution strategies. These findings shed light on the complexities of organizing successful live music concerts in North East India and provide insights for concert organizers, policymakers, and local artists. The research calls for enhanced support, improved infrastructure, and a stronger platform for local talent to thrive in the vibrant music scene of the region.

The ties that conform: Legitimacy and innovation of live music venues and local music scenes

This study investigates innovation within live music scenes by analyzing the extent to which live music venues, with varying types and levels of legitimacy, conform to or diverge from their counterparts in terms of band and artist selection. Based on a self-collected dataset with information on 175 live music venues and some 5000 performing acts they featured in a year, this study reveals that economic and cultural legitimacy have distinct effects on the innovativeness of live music venues. Specifically, it is observed that venues with low economic legitimacy but high cultural legitimacy, particularly regarding music genre, tend to exhibit greater levels of innovation. Conversely, venues possessing moderate economic legitimacy and high cultural legitimacy, particularly related to media attention, tend to display lower levels of innovation. The findings underscore the role of artistic and low-status venues in enriching the innovativeness and diversity of local music scenes. By considering various types and levels of legitimacy, this study contributes to the sociology of music and culture as it deepens our understanding of the intricate interplay between legitimacy and innovation within the context of cultural production.

Symphony No. 2 "Brasiliana" by Walter Burle Marx

This article on the Brazilian composer Walter Burle Marx (b São Paulo, 1902; d Akron, Ohio, 1990) is part of an ambitious project, which aims at publishing a performing edition of all four of Burle Marx’s symphonies. His Symphony No. 2 (“Brasiliana”), written in 1950, reflects Burle Marx’s national and cosmopolitan influences. The early twentieth century in Brazil was an effervescent period when nationalism was the watchword. This climate caused some hesitation when it came to accepting Burle Marx into the Brazilian musical scene not only as a composer but also as a conductor. Burle Marx’s musical background forged an undeniable bond between music tradition and artistic nationalism, which was imperative to the composers of the time. Nonetheless, for the Brazilian modernist movement in the 1920s, Burle Marx’s German training in the 1920s turned out to be an anathema. This article investigates two aspects of Brazil’s cultural and political environment between 1922 and 1945, a critical period which had a great impact on the development of Burle Marx’s career, as well as conclude presenting the most characteristic and distinctive compositional processes that make this work noteworthy in Walter Burle Marx’s symphonic output.

The Belarusian Chameleons: Pesniary’s Popularity and the Ambiguity of Soviet Identities

Formed in 1969 and active through the early 2000s, Pesniary were arguably the most popular band in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. Their music is distinctively Belarusian, but still fits neatly within a broader Soviet narrative. This article explores the extent to which Pesniary represent an independent Belarusian identity or Soviet kitsch. It considers both the group’s reception at home in the Soviet Union and abroad. Pesniary’s ability to repackage both Soviet cultural policy directives and Western popular music motifs as authentic folk material was key to their success in the 1970s Soviet music scene and beyond.

Alternative Brisbane: Evolution of goth and punk subcultures as ‘counter-cities’

This paper studies the evolution of the punk and goth subcultures in Brisbane, Australia. We analyse how these subcultures are representing the idea of the counter-city through the ‘heterotopia’ displayed in the city from the birth of the punk movement in the late 1970s until now. This paper reflects on the continuous presence of these two subcultures in the city, and examines their relationship to space and the city. We investigate how spaces in the city have served these subcultural practices over the past 50 years. We examine the link between the concept of the counter-city and the material concerns of urban life by detailing the ways in which those participating in these subcultures exemplify value systems that run counter to hegemonic social and cultural norms. Using a typology of “critical urban interventions”, we examine the role the musicians and audiences in Brisbane's punk and goth scenes play in the urban sphere. First, we situate music scenes and subcultures within the broader ‘counter-cities’ theoretical framework. We then analyse interviews from participants in Brisbane's punk and goth scenes to examine the extent to which these subcultures have displayed counter-cities dispositions in the making and remaking of these subcultures.

Recovery- and sobriety-support groups in a music community: An ethnographic study of Phish, the Phellowship, and the sensorium of sobriety

Purpose/introductionThis article provides an ethnographic account of members of the Phellowship, a group of sober concert goers who connect and sometimes attend informal meetings at Phish concerts. The work attends to the ways this group is meaningful for people's sobriety and livelihoods. The overall purpose of this article is to provide a rich description of a novel approach to the creation and extension of a culture of recovery and sobriety through music and music communities. MethodsThis article utilizes two years of ethnographic data collected from interviews with roughly 20 participants and conversations from participant observation with people who are generally representative of the demographics of this group and fanbase (25–55, white, about half male and female presenting). The ethnographic data were physically coded into emergent themes and analyzed to highlight the important facets of participation and experience of members of the Phellowship. This method of qualitative analysis utilizes aspects of phenomenological inquiry, in that the subjective experiences of individuals are described and analyzed, to meet the larger aims of an ethnographic analysis that explicates the understandings and cultural practices of this community in their own words. ResultsThematic results include the performative and oral importance of narration at meetings, the semiotics of recovery and their community, the extension of sobriety beyond their “programs” or health-related arenas, and, most importantly, the role of connection and community. Each topic and result includes first-person accounts from interviews and participant observation to explicate how these thematic areas were chosen and have become meaningful for members of the Phellowship. DiscussionThis nonprogrammatic approach to recovery and sobriety that focuses more on cultural practices and salient versions of people's everyday identities, rather than “healing” and process seems to be a promising and novel addition to better the lives of people with substance use disorders. This group, and the network of these groups that exists in the jam band music scene at large, could act as a model for person-first approaches to recovery that incorporate different elements of sociality, community, and creative expression.

Co-creating a city brand image based on cultural identity: the case of Cali and the Salsa music and dance scene

Objetivoesta investigación analiza la co-creación artístico-cultural en relación con la Salsa –baile y música- en Cali Colombia; estudiando cómo este proceso emana de la identidad cultural-afectiva de la sociedad civil, y a partir de la base socio-cultural, se crean estrategias económico-culturales y de marketing territorial.Diseño/metodología/enfoqueel enfoque teórico-conceptual sigue un enfoque de construcción social para explorar la autenticidad territorial; y una lógica de servicio -Service-dominant Logic- aplicada a los procesos de co-creación cultural y socio-económico de la música y la danza como artes escénicas populares. Se adopta un enfoque multi-método cualitativo que analiza in situ las interacciones entre turistas y ciudadanos locales.Hallazgosse evidencia que las músicas y danzas populares se basan en la identidad de la sociedad civil, de interacciones sociales y expresiones artístico-culturales que co-crean una identidad sensorial cultural; y luego esas manifestaciones culturales son adoptadas por las elites empresariales para crear grandes shows o festivales de música y baile, y por los gobiernos para consolidar políticas culturales.Limitaciones de investigaciónel análisis se aplica a una ciudad en concreto, el proceso de co-creación de la Salsa en Cali, Colombia, donde turistas y viajeros son atraídos por la autenticidad de experiencias sensoriales de música y danza a través de interacciones interpersonales con los residentes caleños.Implicaciones prácticaslos procesos de Marca Territorial deben considerar las sinergias entre las dimensiones económicas y culturales, y también las interacciones sensoriales, que propician conexiones afectivas y emocionales para diversos grupos implicaciones con el territorio.Originalidad/valormás allá de las grandes ciudades mundiales productoras de cultura, es necesario conocer mejor cómo emergen propuestas creativas de ciudades pequeñas y medias de países emergentes cuyas ricas tradiciones culturales, atraen viajeros y turistas en busca de experiencias de autenticidad interpersonal, en contacto con habitantes locales, en sus vivencias diarias e interacciones culturales.

Becoming Sustainable, Underground

In the pandemic summer of 2020 in Helsinki, UG (underground) outdoor parties were able to disengage electronic live music practices from profit making and the logics of cultural extractivism, offering a sustainable practice by and for the local techno music scene. In this article, the UG parties are understood as a learning experience, in which sustainability gave access to a different way to produce and consume culture, in particular thanks to: (1) safe space and pedagogy, (2) ecological awareness, (3) no-profit and community building, (4) music curating, and (5) randomness and exploration. The UG party scene moved outdoors, with no profit to be made, and mostly on public land located in wastelands, shorelines, and forests. This operation suspended cultural extractivism through means that had been previously developed, but that acquired a new dimension because of being performed outdoors. The physical borders of indoor private spaces, and their real-estate dimension, is the key issue in relation to music extraction. When played in public natural settings, with no clear borders or limitations, music is able to regain a political dimension. The mixed-methods approach I used here involves interviews, digital ethnographies and post-party on-site explorations and was based on a thoughtful reflection on how to overcome ethical research issues on one side, and the fear of contagion on the other. A scene as a local actor in times of crisis plays a significant role in keeping social practices alive, and in defining ways to overcome and learn from difficult times.

The “mirroring” method: a case study to enhance the nexus between music performance practice and artistic research in higher music education at European conservatories

After the Bologna Declaration (1999) and the institution of artistic research in music (i.e., PhD in the Arts) in European conservatories, higher music education is facing a revolution. The renewed study program within today’s international music scene is oriented to give students the possibility to be trained and prepared as both professional musicians and/or artist-researchers. Therefore, the current debate at European conservatories is strongly focused on how to activate a nexus between performance practice and artistic research within bachelor’s and master's programmes. This paper presents and discusses a case study of a workshop in music performance practice integrated in the Research Practice Program at Royal Conservatory of Antwerp. It consists of a series of teaching modules inspired by the mirroring method I developed during my PhD at University Ghent – Institute for Psychoacoustic and Electronic Music (IPEM) - and I implemented, as a postdoctoral artist-researcher, in my teaching at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp (2021-2023). The goal of this method is to assist students in growing up their own artistic identity and trajectory and become professional performers with a possible path on artistic research in music. Students are guided on how to structure music performance practice as a research activity through a systematic documentation, analysis, and dissemination of their own creative process. Outputs can be identified in the improvement of students’ body awareness while playing in relation to score analysis and the achievements of research questions that arise from their reflection in and on their practice. An impact of this approach is retrieved in the elaboration of bachelor’s and master’s theses that can ultimately constitute a bridge for future artistic research proposals. Keywords. Music Performance Practice, Artistic Research in Music, Higher Music Education, Music Performance Analysis, Music Analysis.

‘This felt more like a conversation’: challenging gender norms in electronic music production through alternative education programs

ABSTRACT This article argues that problematic gender norms in electronic music contexts – namely, their association with masculinity and overrepresentation by cis men – can be subverted through alternative education methods. We use the case study of the Electronic Music Accelerator (EMA) program, run by youth organization The Push in Melbourne, Australia, to illustrate this. Specifically, we evaluate strategies used in the EMA program to teach Ableton and related skills on building electronic music production careers. The EMA s program was designed to increase the numbers of women and gender non-conforming or gender diverse people involved in electronic music production, in response to evidence that these groups continue to be underrepresented in this area. We focus on how so-called soft skills, as opposed to the strictly technical skills normally the main focus in an Ableton course, were taught in this program. In the EMA, rather than insisting that the participants take up a ‘masculine’ attitude to adapt to the existing electronic music scene that is dominated by men, the course presented ways of working with, and even reclaiming, traits perceived as feminine, such as humility and community-mindedness. This approach offers possibilities for reconfiguring expectations in electronic music spaces.

'I Do it My Way': The Meaning of Independence in Bandung Indie Musicians and Their Media Uses

Bandung from various discourses is often referred to as the epicenter of the development of popular culture in Indonesia, including the independent music scene. Along the way, being independent or mostly known as "indie" is increasingly popular and then has its own meaning for each musician who adopts and practices it. In addition, the role of the media in music activities is also inevitable. Whether it is to maintain their relationships with audiences, share informations, or brand theirselves, they do it through the media. This research will provide a typification of how subjective meaning of being independent can be seen from the use and preferences of media by indie musicians. Researchers interviewed four musicians who live in Bandung. Each of the musicians was interviewed at different times and places. The results show, there are three main types of indie musicians: The Idealists, The Moderates, and The Opportunists. Each type of indie musicians has their own characteristics regarding how they relate to the media. With this kind of typification, third parties (i.e governments, corporations, grassroots communities, etc) that want to build mutual relationships with independent musicians in Bandung can be clearer about which musicians are most appropriate to meet their needs.

Surviving During the Pandemic: Lessons Learned from Bandung Indie Music Scene in the Covid-19 Pandemic

This research intends to study how creative industry players, especially the independent music industry in Bandung responded to the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The creative industry’s business pattern, which relies a lot on various face-to-face events, was forced to stop as a result of many restrictions on mobility to suppress the spread of Covid-19. By implementing a qualitative approach, this study conducted in-depth interviews with 8 experienced actors in the music industry in Bandung. This study found that (1) music industry players were hit hard at the beginning of the pandemic; (2) music industry players have many abilities that are very useful in difficult times such as pandemic times; and (3) music industry players initiated other creative businesses. This study also concludes that music industry players were classified as a vulnerable group during the pandemic. However, by capitalizing on the network within their communities, they were able to produce breakthroughs to survive and continue their activities in the creative industry.
 Keywords: creative industries, music, Covid-19, policy

Feminejo: how women are changing brazilian country music

This study aims to analyze the factors that have contributed to the recent rise in popularity of "feminejo," a term coined to describe women singing sertanejo music, and examine how this trend has influenced the sertanejo musical scene. To achieve this, I will provide a concise history of the genre, focusing on the evolution of female participation as both main protagonists and central themes in songs during different phases of its development. Given the limited number of publications directly related to this subject due to its recent emergence, I have relied heavily on video-sharing platform indices and cultural sections of both print and online journals for this preliminary study.

Curating the music city: The accommodation sector in Glasgow’s music tourism ecology

Since becoming a UNESCO ‘City of Music’ in 2008, Glasgow has sought to develop the tourism potential of its music scene. As potential beneficiaries, accommodation providers have facilitated the development of music tourism initiatives within the city, strategically positioning themselves as ambassadors for the city’s music. This article considers how three Glasgow hotels ‘curate’ the musical life of the city, presenting themselves as facilitators of cultural experiences rather than mere service providers. We draw on interviews alongside an analysis of marketing discourse to show how this approach is reflected in the physical space of hotels, recruitment practices, and the language of promotional materials. Arguing that the packaging of musical experience often implies an instrumentalist understanding of music’s cultural value, we consider what it means for music to be re-imagined as an ‘experience’, and how music’s value as a resource for self-construction is articulated within the discourse of contemporary tourism.

Music consumption and taste internalisation practices among educated Brazilian metal listeners and members of musical scenes

This article characterises the taste internalisation practices of listeners engaged in the consumption of the metal musical genre, delimiting engagement as an active role in performing distinctive actions and/or establishing social relations that enable the metal scene in Brazil. We found that social actors and specialised media propagate the normative system among listeners, who get involved with the aural, visual and verbal dimensions of the style, while appreciating and updating the meanings inherent to it. Cultural competencies are developed for the judgement and expression of taste, considering the peers inserted in the scene. Social distinction is manifested through the elaboration of codes that affirm the particularity of the listener's musical taste. We conclude that the taste internalisation practices promote a process of learning and experimentation during the consumption of the metal musical genre, contributing to the insertion of a new listener and to guide the interactions among listeners already existing in this cultural field.