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Don't Upset The Rhythm

Alex Miarli | 28.04.2013 14:15 | Analysis | Culture | Repression | London | World

The art of music has been seen as something that over the centuries is a way to connect and bring people together. In a contemporary society however, that view can be deemed as false. With hundreds of musical genres, and different groups of people claiming that “their genre” is the best, who is to say that they’re wrong or right?
The beautiful thing about music is that it has changed throughout history and continues to evolve; so why can’t we? Of course, things like bullying, racism, discrimination and segregation are still ripe in modern society, but does that mean we have to plague an entire industry that affects all of us day-to-day with these views?



The art of music has been seen as something that over the centuries is a way to connect and bring people together. In a contemporary society however, that view can be deemed as false. With hundreds of musical genres, and different groups of people claiming that “their genre” is the best, who is to say that they’re wrong or right?

Well I’m saying that they’re wrong. All of them.

With cyber fights continuing on a daily basis on social networking sites – such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – between the likes of Bieber fans and every other music fan, it’s now something that has become boring, repetitive and frankly immature.

The beautiful thing about music is that it has changed throughout history and continues to evolve; so why can’t we? Of course, things like bullying, racism, discrimination and segregation are still ripe in modern society, just look at the youth police-commissioner Paris Brown who was forced to quit her role over racist “tweets”. But does that mean we have to plague an entire industry that affects all of us day-to-day with these views?

Obviously, this sort of thing rarely hits the headlines and it is only in extreme cases within the music industry, but the principles still remain. People who favour Dubstep over Dance, Indie over Pop or Rock over Rap, it does not mean that they’re broken, or stupid, it just means they have a different preference in music to you! There’s a difference in sharing your music with others, and forcing your music onto people.

As you read this, I hope you can understand that no-one is perfect; that it’s wrong to criticise others on their opinions and tastes and let’s be honest, if you’re still reading this, then you must somewhat agree. Maybe you’re a culprit of this – I know I have made fun of my brother for his taste in music, but then that feeling of guilt starts to kick in; if he likes it and it make him happy, who am I to judge and criticise?

You can’t define someone by their taste in music, just how some bands can’t be defined to one genre. For example, my favourite band at the moment is an “indie” band called Alt-J (∆). Their song in particular, “tessellate” is soulful, bluesy and has a great beat. The guitar chimes away with its slacker-pop hook as the vocals soar and take you on a journey through the blues-infused electronic vibe. New and innovative, this track could really take Alt-J (∆) places. But I feel that this song and this band do not fit specifically into this genre; just how people in general do not fit into one particular stereotype.

If you’ve made it this far, I thank you, but don’t stop yet... Why don’t you help to make this change (or change yourself!) by using music to instead spread happiness and stamp out this theme of discrimination and stereotypes that plague every aspect of life including music, and just enjoy it for what it is and appreciate what the artist has achieved. If you’re interested in trying to achieve this within music, send us an email with the name of your favourite band and we’ll have a listen, review and then share them with you. If you have the time, have a listen to my chosen track above and why not tell us what YOU think.

“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent”
― Victor Hugo


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Alex Miarli
- e-mail: alexmiarli@gmail.com
- Homepage: https://www.facebook.com/Unite.Music.Without