Declan Weir
Mrs. Chasarik
Expository Composition
3/12/15
Music Shapes our Lives Music has the ability to shape one's mind and outlook on life. The growth of music has led to an expansion in ones freedom of expression, these changes cause divisions in music which then cause divisions in society. In my generation, people are judged by what music they listen to, whether it be pop music, EDM (Electronic Dance Music), or rap/hip-hop, musical styles can go hand and hand with one's personality. Pop music is generally enjoyed by everyone, thanks to the way it is structured with very simple chord progressions, catchy melodies, and lyrics that are easy to sing along too. However, its very generic and all the songs really sound the same at the root. The pop industry has evolved into a shallow, image-obsessed industry that conforms to what the public wants to hear and see, eliminating the focus on the actual music. These songs teach listeners that what’s on the outside is important, and money matters. People who listen to pop are generally very up to date with whats cool and very in with the modern pop culture. EDM has a similar structure to pop music, but a much different lifestyle and culture around it. The Electronic Music scene has become huge in the last few years, its only just become a prevalent and a recognized genre and its all very new and evolving. The "rave" movement is very much like the hippie movement in the 60's and 70's, its all about love, peace, and equality, everyone is free spirited and respectful. Unfortunately, drugs are a huge part of the genre, lots of people overdose at events and many are hospitalized. The structure of the music is a lot like classical music, its all about the melodies, not overly complex but catchy, the music is upbeat and generally very happy and danceable. Very unlike EDM, we have Rap/Hip-hop both musically different and culturally different from EDM but not to dissimilar to Pop. The culture of rap/hip-hop has shaped