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JB's Musical Musings

The Same Old Song

JB’s Musing: I can’t seem to grab a magazine that doesn’t have something about music or music for therapy or music for healing somewhere in its pages.

I have slowly collected these gems and often get nervous I am going to forget some of the treasures — so today I have decided to blog a little more often.  Not just for our TUESDAY THEMES but at times throughout the rest of the week when some interesting tidbits come by my desk.

Today’s gem came out of 24H News – right from my local pool’s news stand….on page 2 it has this all too familiar face of Justin Beiber with the headline that says “It’s Really Just the Same Old Song”

The article then goes on to discuss that modern pop music really is louder and does all sound the same (oh my, so it isn’t just cause I am feeling older).  Researchers in Spain used the Million Song Dataset (I had no idea we had this) and after reviewing all the data they found evidence that the “diversity of transitions between combinations has consistently diminshed in the last 50 years.”

Are we becoming less risky? less creative?….is evolution happening everywhere but in music?

But at the same time could it be possible that our musical homogenization is reflecting what human beings are trying to do and that is come together, even if it means simplifying a few things in order to stay rooted to our common ground and not become so different that none of us can relate to one another.

I look forward to see how we can do both….be connected AND be diverse (perhaps even unexpected).

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Jennifer Buchanan, BMT, MTA
Music Therapist and Author of Tune In