Aesthetics
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“Not surprisingly, popular music is typically studied as music. The experience of popular music, however, is never just about sound.”
This lesson is all about Aesthetics - the look, the fashion, the body, and televisual, photographic, and cinematic presentation.
By using an Aesthetic, performers can communicate to their fans more about their personalities and even attract new fans with their style.
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First let's look at two performances by the same band:
What can you learn about Hozier's intended audience from these performances?
Who are they trying to appeal to or attract to their fandom?
Notice their style: Clothing, Lights, Movements, Locations, Instruments, etc.
Everything in these presentations have been deliberately chosen for a reason.
- What do you notice about these three performers?
- Notice their hair style, demeanor, clothing, and general presentation.
- What kind of audience do you think this musical group is trying to appeal to?
Would any of these answers change if you knew they were one of the most successful pop groups of the 1960s and 70s (the civil rights era)?
How do you think the aesthetic of this group contributed to their success - especially given the time of their popularity?
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Aesthetic can be a powerful vehicle for attracting and establishing a fandom. Without the success of supergroups like The Supremes, other taste-makers and influencers would never have made their contributions that changed the styles and attitudes of the public.
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How does this image compare to the previous group?
Notice the hair styles, demeanor, clothing, and general presentation. What kind of audience do you think this musical group is trying to appeal to?
These images highlight a shift in African-American culture in the 70s after the assassination Martin Luther King and the rise of the Black Power movement
“There was a move toward a more “natural” look among African Americans — and African-American performers were often at the forefront of such change.”
Black performers began wearing afros instead of straightened hair, Kente cloth, and photographed in urban streets instead of studios.
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“These developments were a symptom of deeper changes in how African-Americans were seeing their places in American life.
The songs told a story; the images supported it.”
Aesthetic is an integral part of music. It frames the music and and how we understand it. It provides a clear glimpse at the artist’s style, presentation, and culture - which serves to attract listeners by sharing a small part of their personality and values.
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Choose an artist whose music you listen to and create a digital collage of images featuring them
- Immediately rename the *Your Name* part of the title with your actual name.
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Your collage should contain at least eight images and represent the visual diversity of your artist
- Don’t choose eight images of them doing the same thing, at the same performance, etc.)
- At least one image should be an album cover from the artist.
- Answer three questions about the images, your song, and the artist in complete sentences
- Share the Document with your teacher to turn it in at: rlagrone@pps.net
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