Introduction

Bob Dylan started singing at the age of twenty years. In 1961, he frequented in the Gerdes Folk City club where he performed protest songs to college students. His career was surrounded by cultural interactions in music and also the draw of inspiration from other singers such as Pete Seeger. Bob later formed a band, which they named the New Frontier. The group consisted of three members, and Frank Webermanaged them. Their success expanded to include the establishment of the Kingston Trio Inc. that has enormous success in other investments. The success of their music encouraged the formation of other singing groups. Folk music had significant influence among the populations. College students began to listen to folk music. The primary message of the folk songs was to encourage equal rights for all people. The songs were majorly protesting songs. This paper considers the trends in music and emerging issues in music based on Bob Dylan as the case study of an artist.

Does this artist repeat any trends we have covered in this course?

The southern people mainly listened to folk songs. These were traditional songs that came up as an interaction between the British people and the Africans who were living in the south. The earliest performances of Bob Dylan were based on social gatherings such as clubs. The trends of Bob were similar to the early folk songs that were performed at marketplaces and social places. The British incorporated the Christian message into the folk songs and this enhanced the delivery and also increased the fan base of the singers. It became a religious type of music that was meant to instill values or pass a message to the people on their hardships. According to (…), white people gathered to listen to this type of music. The slaves began learning the English hymnals. More emphasis was placed on the continued fight for freedom while instilling principles and values to them.

However, Bob later stopped composing and playing folk songs. Instead, he shifted his focus to current trends in the country and wrote music on them. For example, in May 1963, he produced his album “FreeWhe6elin” which addressed the political scenario in the state at that time. Later he politicized his music to the extent of pushing for a performance of his music at public places. From the course, the artist repeats the trend of changing one music genre to another. The traditional folk songs did affect the consciousness of the listeners. However, the trend later shifted towards the pop culture. This shift too affected the people more so college students who adjusted to the new trend. In the two scenarios, music performance change over time. And the changes are made based on the prevailing political, social, or economic situations. Therefore, the artist repeats the trends of pop-culture music and folk music.

What issues addressed in this course apply to this artist in some way and how?

The issue of embracing pop-culture music applies to this artist. As learnt in the course, popular culture has different definitions and there is none that explicitly describes pop-culture. Instead, scholars have focused on defining popular culture as the music that addresses the culture that the audience relates with. Popular culture may include rock music, blues, rhythm, but the underlying message must convey the prevailing culture of the community. According to (…), pop culture has been linked to the use of technology and increasing use of new instruments in music. Based on these different definitions, the theme of popular culture can apply to Bob Dylan. Bob started singing pop-culture music in the period of 1970s. his music was widely accepted despite rejection by the government officials. As a result, Bob opted to join in massive demonstrations that were pressing for his rights to produce his music and play it in public places. Folk music listeners were divided and the death of President Kennedy widened the gap between the folk listeners and the pop-culture music listeners. Bob was forced to use the new technology such as electric guitars in his performances. He changed is the location of music concerts and he focused more on producing music that was politically affiliated. In essence, the issues of popular culture and the trends in technology apply to Bob Dylan.

What does it have in common with other genres of music we have studied, or will study, in this course?

There are similarities between the music performed by Bob Dylan and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Music. Rock nRoll is believed to have been established in the 1950s and the Bill Haley was one of the pioneers of this genre. There was a significant revolution in this type of music during the same period. Different cultures were represented in the same style and music was acceptable by all people. However, some critics argue that Rock nRoll had sexual affiliation after the release of a song that described a sexual scene. Nevertheless, the acceptance of this genre was wide and people embraced it well. The use of modern music equipment defined Rock nRoll. This was similar to what Bob Dylan had adopted in the same period. Similarities emerge in the cross-cultural orientation of the two types of music and the use of advanced musical instruments. The message of the two genres had common inspiration. As Bob Dylan focused on equality among the citizens, Rock nRoll artists also managed to address racism and many African-American people started to live in harmony with the whites. Overall, the pop-culture genre and the Rock nRoll have commonalities in the message, culture, and use of technology.

How will you approach your interview on this topic?

I would approach this interview by examining the background of the interviewee’s musical genres. What is my objective? I want to determine the changes that have taken place in the person’s musical journey. This is because many musicians change from one genre of music to another in the course of their career. It also means that their taste and,love formusic is also continually changed. It is essential to understand what basis do people use to shift their genres of music. Based on the lessons from the course work, many people change their styles of music and the transitional reasons are diverse. Therefore, I will approach the interview by first determining the musical background of the interviewee. After establishing the context, I will proceed to identify the external factors that affect how people choose to listen to a particular type of music. My interviewee will explain the external factors that affect the choice of music.

Moreover, I will make sure that we discuss the role of technology and its influence on music. I will be concerned on how the different inventions in musical instruments contribute towards shifting of the genres of music and coming up with new genres. As evident from the course studies, technology played a role in the development of pop-culture and the establishment of Rock n Roll music. This issue raises concern on whether technology affects the emergence of new music genres or it does not.

What questions will you pursue in your interviews, participation, and observation; and why?

First, I will ask the interviewee to explain the different music genres. This approach is to create a basic understanding of how people perceive the definitions of different types of music genres. Having a foundation on the definitions of different types of music is key to asking subsequent questions based on the transitions of music. Second, I will ask about the musical background of the interviewee and the genres he/she has passed through. Besides, I will ask for their thoughts on why people change between different genres. Third, I will ask about the role of technology on music. Moreover, I will ask about the relationship between music and culture.

Conclusion

Overall, music undergoes different transitions in different generations. The different genres of music have different origins and the reasons for their establishments arediverse. Culture and technology play significant roles in the evolution of music. Bob Dylan is an excellent example of an artist who began music at a young age and saw different factors affect his choice of the genre of music. Pop-culture music and Rock n Roll music, are also genres that signify the important elements that allude to the existence of different styles.

 
Do you need high quality Custom Essay Writing Services?