My relationship with Music

 

My relationship with Music 

I was on the bus, blasting music in my headphones wondering how I would start writing this blog post. After a bit of pondering, I thought it would only be right to begin with my relationship with music. 

Music is something I have loved and appreciated for as long as I can remember; I love it so much that I never leave the house without my phone and headphones (my mini sound system, if you will). From my headphones which allow me to appreciate the instruments (especially the bass which is my favourite part) to my phone (with all the music applications I use that contain carefully curated playlists by myself and my friends to suit whichever mood I am in). To each specific song: that musicians, producers and more have worked on tirelessly to ensure each song or album is perfected. 

In considering all of this, it got me thinking about the podcast we listened to (The Wickedest Sound by 99% Invisible) and how drastically the sound system has changed. From the original Big Booming Boxes (the size of refrigerators) called the House of Joy (minute 02: 24 - 02: 29) to music being played outside store fronts, to lawn dances (also known as blues dances) and finally to something that fits into my pocket. This evolution of technology is something that we reflected on in the first seminar. How technology is something that is constantly evolving to meet the demands of people within society. For example, during the that time everything got bigger - the amps, speakers and speaker cabinets (09: 47 - 10: 08) in contrast to now, where everything seems to be getting smaller (for example, from earphones to wireless earbuds... or one can look at the size of phones). 

Although technology is constantly changing, so are people in how they utilise it. The podcast referenced how many trained musicians left Jamaica for higher paying jobs (minute 06: 30 - 06: 45), there was few options for live music and as such, small business owners and other inventors began to improvise and connect record players to basic PA systems in order to attract customers (minute 07: 25 - 07:50). Realising this is what people wanted, people began to take turntables to open spaces around Kingston (minute 07:59 - 08:50). In addition to this, one could also note how the creation of the sound system created an informal economy (people saw the need for other ways to improve the musical experience and found ways to meet these needs and make money). 

Music is something I listen to often because it speaks into the way I am feeling and there is often memories attached to my music. For example, if i am missing my family who is based in Johannesburg i will listen to Amapiano because during the last couple of visits to them, it is something we bonded over. In the same light, it was something I found interesting in the podcast: how people related to certain kinds of music. Taking a shift from the music that was imported from USA (minute 12: 49 - 13:01) to music that reflected Jamaican ambition because of the focus of Independence at the time (minute 25: 41 - 28: 10). There was an importance of listening to music that people felt they related to a lot more and this transformed from upside down RnB to SKA to Reggae - genres that are still widely listened to today. 

I think it is fair to say music is something I am addicted to (not a day goes by without me listening to music) and technology has definitely aided in my addiction. Looking at the various applications made for music makes it more easily accessible, the music applications I have have also enhanced my experience of listening to music: from the basic interfaces, the initiatives such as Spotify Wrapped, Tiny Desk, Apple Home sessions (where one can listened to various live versions of the songs and engage with the artists) and finally, to the convenience of finding new music (for example, Apple Music and Spotify gave the 'Made for You' section - please see pictures below). In addition there are applications like TikTok which further reinforce my love for music. 

This all intrigued me on how technology is used to keep us engaged. The book I chose for the course is called Addicted by Design by Natasha Schüll. Even though the book is specifically talking about Slot Machines in Vegas - I thought some of the core concepts learned in the book can be extended to other technologies and it would help me understand what processes are being considered when people are creating new products or improving older products.