Posted by Rich on 01/11/06 00:37

Internet downloading and MP3 players are creating a generation of
people who do not seriously appreciate songs or musical performances,
British researchers said Tuesday.

"The accessibility of music has meant that it is taken for granted and
does not require a deep emotional commitment once associated with
music appreciation," said music psychologist Adrian North.

North led a team from the University of Leicester, central England,
that monitored 346 people over two weeks to evaluate how they related
to music.

They concluded that because of greater accessibility through mass
media, music was nowadays seen more as a commodity that is produced,
distributed and consumed like any other.

It could also account for the popularity of television talent
competitions, particularly in Britain, which allow viewers from the
"iPod generation" a rare chance to engage and appreciate music and
live performances, they suggested.

"In the 19th century, music was seen as a highly valued treasure with
fundamental and near-mystical powers of human communication," said
North.

"The pace of technological change has accelerated further over the
last 20 years or so and these fundamental changes in the nature of
musical experience and value have arguably become even more
pronounced.

"Because so much music of different styles and genres is now so widely
available via portable MP3 players and the internet, it is arguable
that people now actively use music in everyday listening contexts to a
much greater extent than ever before.

"The degree of accessibility and choice has arguably led to a rather
passive attitude towards music heard in everyday life.

"In short, our relationship to music in everyday life may well be
complex and sophisticated, but it is not necessarily characterised by
deep emotional investment."

The academic's assessment follows a warning last week from rock legend
Pete Townshend, The Who guitarist, that listening to rock music on an
MP3 player through headphones could cause deafness.





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