Legal Control of Music

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses that the history of music is replete with examples of musical suppression. The writer notes that in the days of the classical composers such as Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven these 'now famous' musicians were referred to as 'long hair' musicians and were shunned much in the way that the 'long hair' musicians of the 1960s and 1970s were shunned by proper aristocratic society. The writer points out that classical musicians such as those mentioned were completely dependent upon their patrons. Further, the writer notes that the musicians in today's world are not so hampered as those in earlier decades and centuries, however, there has always been a political and sociological force within the world that attempts to control music through legal means in what some believe is a form of protection and others believe is a form of domination. The writer concludes that while Max Weber views the control of music to be a form of protection, the view of the Marxist is that legal control of music is a strategy of the ruling social class to keep the lower classes under their thumb, stifling creative expression.

Outline:
Objective
Introduction
The Marxist View
The Shifting Cultural Perspective and Music
The Weberian View Contrasted to the Marxist View
Summary and Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The view of Marxism can be applied to the shift from the 'bee-bop' music of the 1950s to the Beatles rock of the 1960s, a shift which was helped along greatly by the pelvis gyration music of Elvis Presley in which the entire beat of the music changed and along with this came the music revolution that led to 'rock-and-roll' much despised by the controlling social class in that decade. Along with this new form of musical expression came expression of rebellion against the Vietnam War that was taking place in the songs of that time that spoke of revolution and played out in society by draft dodgers and flag burners protesting the war that was taking place in Vietnam."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Weber, Max. 1964. The Theory of Social and Economic Organization. Ed. by T. Parsons. NY: Free Press.
• Weber, Max. 1967. On Law in Economy and Society. Ed. by M. Rheinstein. NY: Simon and Schuster
• Henricks, Thomas S. (2002) In Weber's Shadow: The Rationalization of the Expressive. 2002 13 July. Leadership Telling the Truth Project.
• Paglia, C. 1993. Rock as Art -. In: Sex, art, and American culture. London: Penguin Books.
• Woods, Alan (2000) Marxism and Art: An Introduction to Trotsky's Writings on Art 2000 December 20. Online available at: http://www.marxist.com/ArtAndLiterature/marxism_and_art.html

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