AN INVESTIGATION INTO CURRENT POP-CULTURE & UNDERGROUND CULTURE

AN INVESTIGATION INTO CURRENT POP-CULTURE,

AND THE MANIFESTATION OF THE

UNDERGROUND COUNTER-CULTURE AS A RESULT

An essay submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Marketing and

Management for the Music Industry short course at the University of the

Witwatersrand.

Jessica Schnehage

176 Osborne Lowe ave.

Weavind Park, Pretoria

PO Box 75922

Lynnwood Ridge

0040

Pretoria

Tel: 012 804 1881

Cell: 082 400 0640

E-mail: jessica@ad-q.co.za

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

CONTENTS:                                                                                                PAGE:

Abstract                                                                                                3

The effects of a money-emphasised industry on intellectual property           3 – 5

The underground and it’s manifestation                                                    5 – 6

Pop-culture and the media : the MTV generation                                       7 – 10

Money and the Media                                                                             10 – 11

Popular Consumption Criteria and Consumer Behavior                               11 – 12

A future for the Underground                                                                    12 – 13

Bibliography                                                                                          14 – 15

ABSTRACT

“The Underground”, however hard to define or pin-point, has always been present in global culture and society. Its presence has influenced many movements within the counter-culture, providing a definitive alternative to popular culture and mainstream commercialism. While the underground exists in many different categories of society, I believe the underground music scene has evolved through time to become a reflection of individualism and defiance of popular culture. The Underground has thus come into existence because of the need for people to define themselves outside of the latest trends and the music of the masses.

This paper will attempt to investigate pop-culture as induced by mass media, possible problems surrounding the current global pop-phenomenon, the effects of a money-emphasised industry on the intellectual property within that industry as well as pre-commercial alternatives born out of a need for music consumers to express themselves outside of popular entertainment parameters.

THE EFFECTS OF A MONEY-EMPHASISED INDUSTRY ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Popular music is a manifestation of many different factors, including the power of the media (breeding the so named MTV generation), the development of the international music industry into such a profitable market, hordes of culture issues which will always be a part of any intellectual and creative entity such as music, and (I believe), the propensity for the majority of people to abandon individual taste and opinion in order to be a part of the mass-identity that is being herded towards “popular” trend. Presenting an artist for sale and exposing them to a large degree implies that they must be the latest thing. Consumers are prompted to buy the record whether or not the artist provides good music. (Shaw, 2004)  In the words of Bertrand Russell: “Most people would rather die than think; in fact, they do so.”

Awareness or salience is the only differentiating factor between big and small products. (Ehrenberg, 1997) Popularity in this sense arises from the artist with the most salience. (Shaw, 2004).  Therefore, an artist does not necessarily need to be an accomplished or skilled musician to any degree in order to be salient in the industry, as salience has come to equal the amount of money spent on the marketing and branding of the product. Salience is especially prevalent in popular music as it has been established that an artists image, looks and brand need to be punted in order for the album to be a sale success. It is therefore a lot easier for consumers to define their musical taste within popular trend, as less salient artists in lesser known genres are simply less noticeable to the public at large.

The traditional view of marketing is to simply respond accordingly to consumer demands. But the media and marketing industry as a whole has evolved into a manipulative entity, rather creating and moulding their markets to generate more revenue, other than simply providing for consumer wants. The activities of marketing management are encapsulated in the attempt to alter the scope of the consumer behavior setting and to manipulate reinforcers and punishers (in reference to the consuming experience). This is a departure from the usual depiction found in marketing literature of the marketing-orientated firm responding to autonomous consumer wants. (Foxall, 1999c) While this strategy certainly applies on a global scale, and in a broader view than this investigation can touch upon, I still feel that the influence of the media on the music industry specifically, is playing a great role in the nature of the beast and the industry we find ourselves in today. The media creates for the public the need to purchase, which the public then willingly adopts as their own.

Criticism of the continued commercialization of music is growing, but a problem does currently exist for musicians who do not feel compelled to write music for already-created audiences in the popular genres to ensure success. By doing this they are retaining their own artistic integrity, and remaining true to their individual talent. The music world today exists, perhaps, in a tight balancing act of cultural goods vs. “globalised” goods. This shows clearly the two sides of the fence to which one must stand. So, the economic structure of popular music exists, where an oligopoly in the recording industry creates a homogonous cultural product (Padilla, 1990). As any corporate venture in today’s society, the music industry has become yet another money-making monster. And as in all business, there are certain formulae’s for success that are followed to ensure the profitability of the product. Unfortunately, these formulae’s have moved towards excluding many skilled and passionate musicians who do not see the exposure that many other media-manipulated markets do at a regular basis. The justification of this is that intellectual property is now being treated as a cultural commodity, and of course any commodity needs to be saleable to the public. Yet there seems no sense in creating a commodity out of art if it is to exploit its cultural value in the process. Music is an art and should thus be respected and treated as such. If you take that away from it, it falls into the realm of science and reality and looses its magical essence. In trying to package it and sell it we should never loose sight of what it is that we are actually trying to sell: magic… (J.G. Shaw, R. Moore, A. Woollatt and N. Hiltermann 2002) Yet, to the pop industry at large, music (and even more so the image and sex-appeal of the artist) is simply another commodity – another product that needs to be sold. As consumer taste change, another artist will fit their requirements and start a new trend. (Shaw, 2004) I would like to argue however, that these consumer “requirements” are not necessarily the personal requirements of an individual, or even a community, but requirements that consumers perceive to possess in terms of music and lifestyle, according to how the media depicts it. There is no greater power in the world today than that wielded by the manipulators of public opinion. (Strom, 2004)

THE UNDERGROUND AND ITS MANIFESTATION

The support that the underground draws exists because there are always individuals or groups within society who do not believe in what the media feeds to the thousands, as well as musicians who have no compulsion to support the “bomb-proof” formula for fame and fortune that so many artists are following. Thus, counter-culture is born – the almost rebellious-like stance of the minority. There is no doubt that the media has a certain power to manipulate popular taste and inclination, and as a result, pop culture in the music industry has gravitated towards a profit-making extravaganza where multi-million dollar record deals fly around and the image, looks and lifestyle of the artist can mean as much, if not more than the music itself. (Shaw, 2004) The transnational music companies began to think of themselves more as exploiters of rights than producers of records. Their new mission was to develop as many ‘revenue streams’ as possible.” Garafalo, R. (1999) And that still is their mission. Yet, music of all types has become a major part of the lifestyle of a large number of people. (Konecni, 1982) Music facilitates hedonic consumption (essentially self-expression) as well as fulfills a very important social function which would allow for interpersonal communication and expression through music and its consumption. And while popular culture seems to embrace the social function of music readily, I would like to suggest that social interaction in the underground music scene plays an even more important role in expressing the minority and their individuality. Music’s role in formulating ethnic identities is influenced by forms of local knowledge that shape the lives of ethnic minority groups. (Bennett, 1997) In juxtaposition with popular culture - where everybody seems to want to look and act like the latest super-star - underground culture places much more emphasis on the definition and expression of the individual. These qualities of the counter-culture can be explored in more detail.

Let's start by saying what the underground isn't: It's not about trends, here today and not tomorrow, it's about like-minded people getting together for something different. It's not about norms; it's about offering something new. It's not predictable or even marketable. Lastly, it's not always successful, but true purveyors of the underground will take it in their stride and take it as it comes. (Spin Out, 2003).While I believe that this is a much healthier environment for music to grow and develop in, it may not present the same opportunities that a commercial career does. Unfortunately, many “true purveyors” of the local and international underground scene have been forced to sacrifice their own individual artistic license for a career that could actually keep them afloat. Many artists argue that treating music as a business represents a particularly insidious force in cultural life, stifling creativity and change. For them business and art are mutually incompatible and they regard the evident economic success of the music industry as an example of the shameless exploitation of our cultural heritage. (Kobacki and Croft, 2005) While there is generally no emphasis on money in underground culture, money is still an established norm within society and determines what you are able to “do” within your life. Many artists have given up on “taking it as it comes” in the face of very real financial hardship. It is here that record companies and the media have taken the initiative to step in and utilize already developed talent into a product which is marketable on their terms. While this method may financially empower musicians and other artists, it may also cause certain sourness and de-motivation in the wake of compromising their own identity and creativity. 

A number of freedoms are endorsed within a countercultural community: freedom to explore one’s potential, freedom to create one’s Self, and freedom of personal expression. People within the counter-culture wish to modify children’s' education so that it doesn’t discourage aesthetic sense, love of nature, passion for music, desire for reflection, or strongly marked independence. (Anders, 1990) Based on Anders’ observations concerning 1960’s counterculture in the USA, we can see that the manifestation of American counter-culture was born in response to already-established norms and societal expectations. Music plays a big role for consumers and musicians alike in creating and defining their identity, whether it is within mass-culture or the minority. The study between music and ethnic identity reveals that music unifies different cultural groups as well as having the ability to express minority groups (Bennett, 1997). Bennett further expresses counter-cultural expressions of the youth, reinventing their ethnicity. (J.G. Shaw, R. Moore, A. Woollatt and N. Hiltermann, 2002)

Gans (1967 cited in Padilla 1990: 87-88) speaks of the golden rule: Within popular music “mass culture” is an industry organised for profit [conservative and radical]; in order for this industry to be profitable, it must create a homogenous and standardised product that appeals to a mass audience [conservative]; and this requires a process in which the industry transforms the creator into a worker on a mass production assembly line, where he gives up the individual expression of his own skills and values [radical].” (J.G. Shaw, R. Moore, A. Woollatt and N. Hiltermann, 2002)

 I believe that artists who “sell-out” to the commercial market have surrendered their right to explore their own potential and their right to create their Self, and have lost the freedom of their own personal expression – these are all characteristics of freedoms within counter-culture, as pointed out by Anders. However, I am not surprised at all that artists become discouraged either one way or the other concerning their careers in the music industry. How is it possible to choose between your individual artistic integrity (and so many other aspects involved within it) and the money you need to survive physically and morally in this world?

POP CULTURE AND THE MEDIA: THE MTV GENERATION

We are, apparently, the MTV generation, used to bites of reality, rapid sound-images, moving features, changing stars and heroes. We take lessons from commercial slogans. We see ourselves in the specularity of our screens. And better there than nowhere. The creation of the category of X is symptomatic of a commercial need to delimit target audiences, to define them by setting borders for their understanding. (Delvaux, 1999)

Since it’s inception in 1981, MTV has re-defined the meaning of pop-culture in the world at large by exposing artists internationally to a cult-following of music enthusiasts, with the core media-value being the incorporation of images and animation into the “latest” of the music scene. The phenomenon of MTV helps to attach visual imagery to a mostly audio product, thus making the artist more salient to consumers (Hogg and Banister, 2000) and creating a stronger and longer lasting impression on the consumer (Baldwin and Mizerski, 1985). However, MTV proved to be just another exercise in “setting borders for consumer understanding”, as described by Delvaux. The overall tone and content of her above reference creates the impression of a society mesmerized by television screens, and I believe we are. Some charge that popular culture tends to endorse a limited understanding and experience of life through common, unsophisticated feelings and attitudes. (Wikepedia: Popular Culture) This ultimately points to a society being “channeled” into experiencing life, as it were, from exactly the same viewpoint. Of course these viewpoints may differ from community to community, however the masses that are exposed to the media daily have been moulded into a “global community.”

As long as you have insular and separated communities, and a media objective to reflect their audiences back in on themselves, you will continue to create consumers who are not as aware of their surrounding as they need to be in order to contribute to a holistic South African Expressionism. (Grubb, 2006) Grubb comments on a perceived situation locally, making particular reference to the diversity of music culture (also applying separate cultures in general) in South Africa. Yet I feel that much of it can also be applied internationally to varying degrees. There is not enough awareness in today’s society. People have lost touch with their own heritage and culture, and therefore communities across the world are reverting to following global trend in search of identity. From a music industry perspective, we can take a look at the generation of today - the MTV generation, generation x – these are all different names pointing to the very same phenomenon. Grubb also points out that in commercial media, there is only one objective – to find out what consumers want to hear/see, and give it to them. What this programming philosophy dwells on is the “want to know” aspect, but in a fledgling democracy like ours, this is at best flawed, and at worst incredibly irresponsible and destructive. Media owners need to recognize that there’s a great deal that people “need to know” to break the continuing cycle of ignorance. (Grubb, 2006) MTV does not sell music, and today’s youth do not consume music. They consume lifestyle. Identity. They consume what they think they want to be. The irony lies in the fact that people would rather consume someone else’s lifestyle than create their own. We are being reflected back upon ourselves. We have lapsed into cultural ignorance.

Music is one of the most powerful vehicles to reflect society back on itself; express society’s successes and short-comings; and present an insight into a community for people on the outside. (Grubb. N 2006) Yet, the insight we receive from other communities seems to be exactly the same as our own. The MTV generation is following exactly what is prescribed, and as a result children are not thinking for themselves or learning to be creative in their own ways. There is no such thing as developing your own taste (musical or otherwise) anymore, as it is all prescribed for us on our television screen. How convenient. The mass media form for us our image of the world and then tells us what to think about that image. The insidious thing about this form of thought control is that even when we realise that entertainment or news is biased, the media masters still are able to manipulate most of us. This is because they not only slant what they present, but they also establish tacit boundaries and ground rules for the permissible spectrum of opinion. (Strom, 2004) People are following the media because they have accepted it as the one and only source of all their information, instead of trying to find alternative perspectives into their own lives. Despite the appearance of variety, there is no real dissent, no alternative source of facts or ideas accessible to the great mass of people which might allow them to form opinions at odds with those of media masters. (Strom, 2004) The 1989 comedy film How to get Ahead in Advertising commented heavily about today’s consumer society, with one of the examples being the main character stating that: “We're living in a shop. The world is one magnificent shop, and if it hasn't got a price tag, it isn't worth having. The Greatest freedom of all is the freedom of choice, but you don't want freedom, do you? (How to get ahead in Advertising, 1989) We all know that we have freedom of choice, but how often do we really embrace that ability in forming our identity?

When watching MTV, I find it devoid of any cultural significance or individualistic expression. If it is as Grubb claims, and music is a reflection of people’s attitudes towards society and life, then MTV certainly reflects a society based heavily on “fitting in” with the latest lifestyle trend, as well as a society based on materialism. The basic consistency of today’s popular music videos is half-naked women, image, bling and attitude. And I feel that because so much emphasis is being placed upon the image and brand of an artist, the importance of the music is falling by the wayside. Innovation is easily copied and a new type of popular music is ultimately reproduced by many artists. As such, an artist has an edge for a very limited period of time before other artists copy the style. (Shaw, 2004) In an environment such as this, artists have become unable to work with their musical talent alone for success in their careers, and instead need to rely on other factors such as public image and style to ‘get ahead’. MTV is very visible as a promotional tool for the recording industry, and has been criticized as overly commercial and accused of denigrating the importance of music in the music industry, replacing it with a purely visual aesthetic. (Wikepedia On-line Encyclopedia: MTV>Criticism>Commercialism) Advanced accessibility to technology and the increased power of the media have created a mass society within our global village. While it is natural for isolated community’s (however small) to retain their culture and heritage (as well as to place great importance upon it), popular trend is no longer culture-rich as it was before. In its place, mass persuasion molds the thousands into what the media and the corporate world needs them to be – mindless consumers. The 1960’s may have been experienced by artists and audiences as a period of political awakening and cultural development, but for the music industry it was a period of commercial expansion and corporate consolidation. (Garofalo, 1999) This means that even while the consumers and artists in the industry during the 1960’s were more connected with the purpose and power of music, the industry as a separate entity was already directing the arts towards commercial expansion and revenue. And today as a result, the global pop-phenomenon has transformed music into a lesser entity than should have ever been allowed. Has “music” simply become yet another gateway to ultimate fame and fortune within a system generating, as Garafalo puts it, an international roster of superstars who are capable of generating unheard-of profits with less product?” (Garafalo, 1999) I believe that this is a disease that has been inflicted on today’s society by the media.

By talking about the MTV-generation, I am not specifically targeting MTV solely as the culprit for the situation the youth of today find themselves in. Whether they are aware of it, or not, we are affected by the media every day, and certain impressions are created about how we “want” to live. In a glamorised society of Hollywood and famous icons, we find our own identity smothered.

People like to feel a part of a group and to understand their cultural identity within that group, which tends to happen naturally in a small, somewhat isolated community. Mass culture, however, let’s people define themselves in relation to everybody else in mass society. (Wikepedia On-line Encyclopedia: Popular Culture)  This problem is especially severe in terms of musical taste and the lifestyle and fashion trends that have been integrated into music culture. The term ‘pop’ tends to imply a different set of values from other music labels and is predominantly associated with mainstream or ‘chart’ music, as opposed to that which is consumed at the margins by those with more minority tastes.” (Hogg and Bannister, 2000) Explaining the reason why pop is predominantly aired on radio stations globally, more often than not multiple times in the same day. It makes good business sense to provide consumers with commodities that are guaranteed to be consumed. “Radio stations popularize music. They choose music that “will” be popular to gain a listener base. In turn, consumers or listeners react positively to the music “given” to them because that is what is expected by the radio station.” (Shaw, 2004) Consumers never stop to think that there might just be more out there than what the media is offering them. (The Radio’s) social functions often touched people deeply. Erik Barnouw said that “radio won a loyalty that seemed almost irrational. Destitute families that had to give up an icebox or furniture or bedding still clung to the radio as to a last link with humanity.”’ (Garofalo, 1999) The situation may have changed, but still people cling to the media, thinking they are holding on to humanity, when in actual fact they are holding on to the image the media has created to represent humanity.

MONEY AND THE MEDIA

Because of the foreseen potential for profit in genres like pop, music moguls have been pumping their resources into these perceived assets. I feel that because of this, all emphasis has been removed from the actual art of making music and artists in other genre’s that may be less marketable (to the masses) are not given the same opportunity to expose their music to potential supporters because of the fact that they will not appeal to enough consumers and thus will not bring in enough commerce to satisfy the industry’s insistency on money. Like any culture industry in a market economy, the role of the music business is fundamentally to transform its cultural products into financial rewards. (Garafalo, 1999) I do not mean that it is not good for the music industry to be thriving financially as it is doing, but I do feel that this money could be spent much better in terms of developing young talent in there own individual spheres, instead of hand-picking artists with good looks and turning them into what they need to be in order to make a profit.

My point is that the industry is overwhelmed with a definitive reluctance to support or develop anything which a) is different to everything else, or b) has not yet proved itself to be a venture worth marketing with profit as the goal. The commercial market is set on perpetuating a cycle of ignorance, and because of this, artists who are not prepared to sacrifice their individualism and integrity, are struggling and often have no way to create a thriving career out of their expressions. Most people exist in a world that is largely detached from reality. The vast bulk of U.S. media is owned by less than a dozen men. What you see, hear, and read is whatever they allow you to. With the onslaught of the internet over the past decade, their grip on art, culture, and information has slipped.” (Counter Culture Music, 2006)

It is difficult to suggest any solutions to revive meaning in the popular music industry, as the issue of commercialization and relentless profit-seeking is obviously prolific in everyday life and society. Rather than this problem being exclusive to the Music Industry, I would rather propose that cultural and intellectual property is being affected negatively because of the overall social situation our world is in. Our individual status, as well as our quality of life, is largely dependent on financial security. Money is, and will always be, an entity that rules our lives. Rather than “pop-culture” being the problem, I would like to propose that we should rather turn our attention towards the culture of money and it’s affect on our perception of value. It is obvious that the world is headed towards an even more consumerist mindset. And with the concept realised that artists in the music industry can create boundless revenue streams with other attributes besides their musical skills, I see no hope for the improvement of the quality and sincerity of what is essentially “popular” music.

POPULAR CONSUMPTION CRITERIA & CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

The consumption of music has unusual features that distinguish it from most consumer activity. Music may be sampled and consumed freely over radio and television, at a nightclub, or at a friend’s party. In fact, music is generally heard prior to purchase. (Lacher, 1989) Lacher points out that music is freely available from a number of sources, including TV and radio. Taking into account what has been previously established about the methods of TV, radio and other media-influenced mediums in terms of the marketing of music, it becomes apparent why the consumption rate between exposed and non-exposed music would differ so much. Because of the fact that it is possible for consumers to sample music before money actually needs to be spent on the album’s purchase, they are able to determine whether their response to a certain type of music is either negative or positive. However, we have already established that radio stations and other media mediums selectively expose music that they deem marketable. Musicians are either in touch or not with what the industry/market is looking for. Musical product is matched to an audience and sometimes the product is created for an already existing consumer. Music that is not in line with popular consumer expectation is shunned by the music industry. (Shaw, 2006) It can thus be assumed that most consumers’ pre-purchase experience is effectively limited, because of the fact that music exposed to the public is restricted. I would also like to propose that this would then in turn cause a chain reaction and have an impact on the music played ‘at a nightclub, or at a friend’s party’ as Lacher suggests, further limiting most consumer’s experience of music. In this way, ‘the music of the masses’ effectively permeates social situations, affording it even more strength and selling power. Another problem may be the fact that, because of the conditioned experience the media is offering the public; most consumers do not reach a stage of analytical response to music, thus making it hard for them to understand the intricacies of a more developed and intelligent genre of music. This creates further problems for non-conformist musicians trying to reach an audience. In my experience, I find that there are certain types of music that often, only other musicians can relate to and appreciate. The question is whether the music is ‘too intelligent’ for the public, or whether the public has been ‘dumbed down’ to the extent that they simply do not know how to experience this music and interpret their own responses in this regard. Taking into account the different responses a consumer may have towards music prior to consumption, as well as the different functions music fulfills, I feel that in this day and age a large part of popular music consumption is a result of a heightened sense of music’s interpersonal (or social) function. Music, in both inter and intra-personal situations, carries certain social implication and emotional and symbolic meanings. People tend to listen to a certain type of music in order to be able to feel part of a certain group – this is called aesthetic fulfillment. (Shaw, 2006) As previously stated, mass culture lets people define themselves in relation to everyone else in mass society. In the public’s attempt to communicate and find a place to ‘belong’, we have chosen to adopt a homogenous lifestyle devoid of personal expression. We have an innate need to relate to other people, yet I believe this need has been misinterpreted. Rather it has evolved into people acting the same as everyone else in order to be a part of, instead of relating on the level of sharing and experiencing other people as individuals.

A FUTURE FOR THE UNDERGROUND

While I feel very strongly about the fact that popular consumption criteria is not based on the quality of the music anymore, there are pro’s and con’s to the undergrounds inconspicuous status. Applied to artists, the term underground means artists that are not corporately sponsored, and don’t generally want to be. I would not wish the type of media attention that pop-artists receive onto any artist within the underground, for fear of corruption of what has remained true within that artistic environment – the music. It is normal for a small brand to attract less loyalty and yet still survive even though larger brands may be dominating.” (Ehrenberg 1990, Hoek et al 2003) While this statement may ring true in terms of the ratio consumers affording their loyalty to the mainstream, I feel that there is a great more deal of loyalty involved in the support of original, non-conformist musicians and artists. Small independent venues in the cities are taking risks with their entertainment choices and this is creating a healthy underground of live music fans eager to experience something new. What’s missing is something in between. Somewhere, between the taste-makers and the big annual mainstream events, exists the potential to establish event brands that will provide artists with a shield from obscurity, by gaining a reputation for good entertainment. (Grubb, 2006) Locally, I believe that there are many small, independent entity’s within the music industry that could combine in an effort to uplift the dominance of mainstream music, and bring to the fore-ground the fresh talent that is abundant in our country. There are countless artists on the local music scene that are contributing truly innovative material to a saturated market. If only they were to receive recognition for their art, more people would be aware of the actual talent that is available for our entertainment. Musicians create unique and individualized material from their historical and social context, which ultimately leads to innovative and constructive paths when creating mass appealing product. (Padilla, 1990) In South Africa, quite simply, this is all happening, but in a fragmented way that fails to create a sense of “South Africanism” – rather, different cultures within South Africa are operating independently , without contributing their piece of society to a bigger picture. (Grubb, 2006) In short, local musicians have more than enough resources to be able to create an original and ethnic product, reflective of the colour and diversity that is prevalent in our country. We have no need to mimic the “Americanisms” that have become so salient because of global organizations such as MTV. Globalization has been pointed out as being the culprit for the erosion of cultural identities, hence the need to protect cultural diversity. (Baloyi, 2004)  We need to balance global trend with local identity. (Adler, 2006) Living in an increasingly smaller global village, it is necessary to develop a global perspective on music. A global perspective on music is a sense of the lifestyles, traditions, values and the music of several nations and cultures throughout the world. We need awareness of the diversity within our national boundaries that has contributed significantly and beneficially to the cultural richness of our land. Once we have learned to embrace our own culture and heritage in every aspect of our lives, we will be able to take on an identity true to our own lifestyle and mindset.  Lawrence Ferrara wrote that a musical experience is marked by the synthesis of passion and rationality, emotion and understanding, and body and mind. Once we are able remove emphasis from the material and aesthetic qualities of the industry, and focus more on the intrinsic qualities that music has always possessed, we will realise how we have been misled by so-called “pop-culture.” A balance has to be reached, if we are to propagate a healthy environment in which our local talent can flourish.

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