Free Streaming Websites Hurting Artists

With current technology, it is very easy for people to stream music without spending any money and that is hurting artists. Recently Taylor Swift took her music off of Spotify, which is a popular music streaming website, because artists get paid less than a penny per song on there and she said that it wasn't fair and people should pay for their music.

Personally, I can see why Swift did this, but I can also understand why some people might get upset. I think that her doing this makes a statement about how artists put a lot of hard work into what they do and they should get rewarded.

I can also see why people would get upset because mosts artists get a majority of their money from tours and meet and greets. People may not be able to afford to get their music any other way due to limited money as well which is why I think music streaming sites are great. They are also great because it's an amazing way to discover new music and artists.

This can connect to human geography because it is a great example of how popular culture can affect people's thought processes and how people use many different resources to find new things to enjoy.

Do you think it was a good idea for Swift to remove her music from Spotify, or do you think it was unfair?

"Are Streaming Services Killing Music?" Newsela. N.p., 12 Nov. 2014. Web. 06 Dec. 2014. <https://newsela.com/articles/music-streaming/id/5988/>.

Ring Tone Music

It is very common that people will tell you to turn off your phone or put it on silent. This normally happens in places such as movie theatres, business meetings, and concerts.Anne-Sophie Mutter is a very well-known violinist and today she is having a concert with a very special piece of music. This piece is a compilation of many different types of ringtones. During this portion of the concert she says that she encourages people to let their phone ring.

I think that this piece could be very fun to play. It sounds like the music would make you want to kind of laugh because when you think about it, it's pretty ironic. Most of the time people would get upset if a phone starts to ring in the middle of a concert, especially one for a well-known player like Mutter, but for this piece she encourages it. I think that if i was at the concert I would have a great time. I say this because the piece, along with the others that she is playing in the program, sounds 
very enjoyable and her talent is amazing.

Neas, Patrick. "The Classical Beat: Ring, Ring! Anne-Sophie Mutter Makes Phones and Music Merge (for a Few Minutes)." Kansascity. N.p., 15 Nov. 2014. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. <http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/performing-arts/article3917434.html>.

Cuban Instruments Need Repair

In Cuba, many instruments are in need of repair. Andres Martinez and his two apprentices work to help repair and lend instruments to children in need of them. Many instruments in Cuba are broken and very cheaply made, which is why Andres Martinez opened his workshop three years ago so that the talented musicians there could compete and perform.


I think that what Martinez is doing is amazing. I love how he really cares about the children and genuinely wants to help. He and his apprentices are doing a great thing for the children of Cuba. Because I play a few instruments, I know how easy it is to harm them and even the smallest things can cause the sound to not be good quality. I also know how important it is for the instrument to sound just right or else the whole piece may sound bad, which is why it is important to have the
instrument to be in good shape.

"Cuba's Musicians Running out of Some  Instruments." Newsela. N.p., 21 Oct. 2014. Web. 02 Nov. 2014. <https://newsela.com/articles/cuba-violins/id/5668/>.

Liberian Radios Help Spread Word About Ebola

Most people know that a major way in helping to prevent getting a disease is to become more educated on it. One way that Liberia is helping slow the spread of Ebola is by using their radio exposure to help raise awareness and education on the topic. DJ's and music artists in many parts of Liberia have started writing and releasing music to help spread information on the disease and ways to prevent it. In Liberia, the radio is pretty much everywhere including shops, cars, and most homes. The fact that radio stations are so big over there gave people the unique idea to play music and even talk about Ebola on their talk shows.

I think that this is an excellent way to spread awareness and information on the topic. Personally, I listen to music a lot and I feel like this is an amazing way to spread awareness and slow the spread of something such as Ebola. 

The article explains how the government first published statements that said Ebola was something that was to be scared of, which naturally made people run. However, things suddenly changed once Liberian artists started spreading more positive lyrics about the disease in their music. The lyrics that were being put into the music were starting to give people hope and also allowed the people to forget the horrible messages originally posted by the government. 

Normally, when people listen to music, they pay attention to the lyrics and tend to remember the more catchy ones, which is why this trend is truly amazing. I believe that we could use the large amount of people who listen to music to our advantage. If we started doing more things like the Liberians are doing to spread good messages about things such as Ebola, people will maybe start becoming more educated on important topics such as wide-spread diseases.

Beaubien, Jason. "Liberian Singers Use The Power Of Music To Raise Ebola Awareness." NPR. NPR, 12 Oct. 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/2014/10/12/355427316/liberian-singers-use-the-power-of-music-to-raise-ebola-awareness>.

Spreading Music All Over the World

There are many different ways to spread music throughout the world and there are many reasons why people like to do so. Greg Hurley is a music professor who goes to many different places around the world such as Iraq and Syria every year for two weeks. He goes to these places in order to work with kids in learning and improving their knowledge in music, which also includes a concert after the two weeks of instruction. Hurley says that these experiences have been life-changing and have opened his eyes to other places. The learning rate at these "camps" is normally slow due to language barriers. However, through the international language of music and different hand motions, the music always comes together to provide an amazing experience and a great concert. Even though the kids and professors at these camps don't speak the same language, they work it out. This can reflect language arts because they are able to learn more about the others language and they also learn new ways to get around communicating without a common language, such as using hand motions.The latest rage in music all over the world is hip-hop. Due to hip-hop being so exposed to everyone through social media, most kids already are in-the-know as to that genre. The fact that there are also many different genres and styles that have branched out from the hip-hop genre has helped it spread and become the most popular style recently. I believe that hip-hop is a great example of how in this day of age, many things are spread solely from social media. This means that people from all over the world can equally experience, learn about, and enjoy anything, including music. I also love that the idea and reason behind what Greg Hurley is doing. I love that he does these "camps" because it gives people who may not have the exposure that others do to be able to further learn about what they love and express themselves through it. This can also reflect the modern culture and human geography because it shows how ideas and activities can quickly be spread just by social media and the internet.

Works Cited

"The Diplomatic Language of Music." Newsela. N.p., 11 Aug. 2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. <https://newsela.com/articles/musical-diplomacy/id/4742/>.

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Welcome to my blog! Here I will be writing about different types of music.