Music is a performance art created by the sounds of singers
and instruments, and covers an incredible range of styles.
It can be enjoyed live or through various media forms
from television and radio to the Internet. Music has
always been written and performed, but it was not
until the 20th century, when new technology to
record and share music developed, that musicians
could become global stars.Music
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A relatively modern
instrument, saxophones
became key to the
emerging jazz sound(^1) DISCO
In the 1970s, pop music with a dance beat known as disco
(from discothèque, a French word for nightclub) filled dance
floors across the globe. Disco music topped the charts and
created major stars, but faded from popularity in the 1980s.
(^2) CLASSICAL
Classical music is a general name for the various types of
music written to be performed in a concert hall. It may be
composed for the instruments of an orchestra (either a full
symphony or a small group of players), or written for a choir
or opera company. The music of composers like Bach and
Beethoven is still popular, centuries after it was written.
(^3) MUSIC AND VISUALS
From the late 1970s, bands made short music videos to
accompany and promote their songs. The arrival of music video
networks and the Internet has created a huge boom in this
area. The virtual band Gorillaz, who previously only existed
as cartoon animations in music videos, turned the form on
its head in 2005 when they performed live as a normal band.
(^4) DANCE
The popularity of electronic instruments like synthesizers,
and the ability to use computers to make music, led to a
new generation of music written to fill the dance floors.
DJs became stars, using turntables to mix live music.
A score (manuscript of
musical notes) is used
by classical musicians so
they can keep track of
which parts they play
A disco ball hung over the
dancefloor was a regular
feature of discotheques
Rapping evolved
when DJs used
microphones to
talk – or “rap” –
over music
Turntables and vinyl
records are used by DJs to
create and mix live music
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