Alienation in the Music Industry

Even though it has been quite a long succession since Marx wrote about alienation, we bear still apply his ideas to contemporary jobs. As an international student and a semi-professional melodyian, I will compargon Marxs ideas to Turkish and global music sector and examine whether they still pertain. I have been producing music for 12 years now and since last year I pouched producing music that in truth makes me feel satisfied. Last year, my band mates and me started seeking a record deal so that we could start making money.We read articles on How to write a hit telephone call? , How to sell a song? and on the general trends in the music sector. We noticed that almost all popular songs follow a uniform pattern. 2012 statistics of album sales in Turkey clarifies that nearly every song in run 50 is produced with a techno music background. This emerging genre of dance music is produced by an unprecedented take aim of complex technologies involving computerized, electronic, hyb rid machines that replace the traditional musical instruments. We can observe the same statistics in a global scale. We can understand techno musics structure from digitally synthesized westerly chords and a digital drum kicks in every beat. In my opinion constant drum kicks in this music is a great metaphor for laborers who have to go to their workplaces and do the same assignments over and over again. Because of its basic, repetitive and computerized structure, it can be produced by anyone with a computer and adequate recording software.Alienation, in Karl Marxs words replaces take by machines scarcely throws a part of the workers back to barbaric labour and turns the other part into machines. It produces culture, but also imbecility and cretinism for the worker. Because of its complex structure and need for creativity, you cannot find any jazz songs in the best-seller list. In a globalized world we need to understand Marxs ability to foresee this capitalist trend. The need o f a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the whole surface of the globe.It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, order connections everywhere . This quote made me think about the country that earns the most money out of this sector, unite States of America. If we look at the Turkish music industry, it is obvious that songs that are most listened to are influenced by western musical traditions. Instead of creating music that has traditional Turkish elements or composing creative music, people pass to produce this global and mainstream genre just to make money.Another reason for this sort of production is that approximately 90 percent of the recording software that Turkish producers use, such as example Logic Pro and Cubase are made in USA. These software dont let you use microtonal notes and scales that Turkish music has. In order to produce a digital song, your composition should be in Western structure. The quote The outdoor(a) character of labour for the worker shows itself in the fact that it is not his own but someone elses, that does not belong to him(Ibid. ) pertains perfectly to this phenomenon.Lisiunia Romenienko wrote in his article that this transformation of IT and related technology has had a diametrical feat in music. For him Computer technology has actually unified fragmented communities involved in techno music production, increased the quality of manufactured goods available to produce techno music, and facilitated cooperation across artistic and technological community factions This has resulted in comprehensive collaboration arrangements and prolific works of music production, thus optimizing aesthetic potential and maximizing opportunities for military man creativity. In contrast to his opinions I think that this transformation creates alienation in music industry thus limiting creativity. This change causes musicians in developing countries to imitate mainstream artists in order to join the gl obal competition. flock evaluate success based on how much money one is making. In order to be a part of this competition, you have be successful, therefore musicians now create basic, pre-structured, mediocre music that affects a huge part of the society.By linking the modernistic capitalist society, specifically the Turkish music industry to Marxs thoughts on alienation, one can expose crucial elements of contemporary issues. His explanations on externalization of labour and alienation in the act of production can be used to describe how musicians are alienated in our modern society. It is clear to me that this trend of globalization and mass marketing limits creativity and individuality in music, resulting in mediocre, similar and low quality works, which are devoid of color and taste. Bibliography 1. Istatistikler. Muyap. N. p. , n. d. Web. Oct. 2012. . 2. Romanienko, Lisiunia 2001, Disputing Marxian Alienation and Hegelian Dialectics Through The Elective Affinities Of Techno symphony in No Walls Leicester, UK De Montfort University 2001 3. Billboard 200. Billboard. N. p. , n. d. Web. Oct. 2012. . 4. Kivisto, Peter. Alienated Labor. Social Theory Roots and Branches. New York Oxford UP, 2011. 6-9. Print. 5. Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. Chapter 1. Manifesto of the commie Party. Peking Foreign Languages, 1965. N. pag. Print.