The Tragic Decline of Music Literacy (and Quality)

Music has been in decline forever, or at least since about 1800. There is always great music being created by artists who do it for the love of music, but pop music is where the decline really shows.

It’s hard to see Elvis or Chuck Berry as anything but a big musical step down from Duke Ellington or Glenn Miller.

What’s happening now in pop music is computers. They analyze hit songs and come up with a formula for making more hit songs. You don’t need a great artist to make songs following the formula, being good looking and a decent dancer helps though. Actually, great artists are a pain in the rear for record companies. Ask anyone who has dealt with Van Morrison.

So we have computers making ever more formulaic pablum for people who aren’t really interested in music. I have hope that there will be another musical revolution one day though.

wharf- Bingo! We have a winner!

Its always been crap, crap, and more crap. Best we can do is hold our noses as we wade up to our necks scanning around searching in vain for the rare find floating in the bilge.

Tomci, your past  1800 comment is ridiculous .

Miller- look for a band called Sammy Miller and the Congregation- record is forthcoming, but they are usually touring. Young, top tier players, big band with a sense of stage business and humor. 
I also got turned onto Snarky Puppy recently- they are no secret, I just wasn't clued in-- sort of a large collaboration of jazz, fusion and jam. 

The real advantage is that a young person's mind develops further with music instruction and education. Music benefits all other subjects studied as well. It should be as essential and as required as math, language arts, reading, writing and history/social studies.