The two articles we analyzed talked about mediation and music. I found mediation to come close with the term “medium,” in the way that music is heard. Based on the readings, I interpreted “mediation” to mean the way a medium interacts with the experience of listening to music, and how it can affect the viewer. Negus’ article repeated the same claim in different contexts when discussing the effects the medium of radio and music videos have on music. There was no strong conclusion, in that music is relative- this was frustrating.
Negus concludes: “Hence, significant struggles over musical meaning are not just occurring during production or among audiences but among those moments in between” (Negus 96).
Well…That’s a little obvious- The medium in which you enjoy music affects your experience. One could go into various debates about musical authenticity and how geographic exclusivity of music is forever doomed. Thanks, Negus.
Music and Musicking was a little different. To the author, the purpose of music lies within the musical experience itself, particularly in the act of listening. This means that music is independent from social, political, or religious beliefs. Okay, Small, but what about pieces that serve a purpose to explicitly serve a social, political, or religious purpose?
Excuse the sarcasm. Negus and Small just use a lot of musical jargon to say simple things, and they take way too long to get to their conclusions.
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