“A Professor of Marketing at the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Kellaris believes that certain musical pieces excite the brain in an abnormal way. The brain in its frenzy to understand that piece will play it over and over, like a bad rash. Songs likely to get stuck in the space between your ears, according to Kellaris, tend to be repetitive, mind numbingly simple and feature sudden changes in rhyme, which sounds like the description for every pop song ever made.”

I like to put on Z-100 these days simply to stay “current.”  Although I often dislike what I hear, and typically don’t put it on for my own pleasure; I like to know where music is heading these days. I know many musicians who disagree- they don’t want to pollute their brains with this non-sense.

I, too, would rather not in a sense, because these songs get disgustingly trapped in my head– more so than Mozart’s Symphony no. 40 in g minor should normally belong.  Perhaps even a nice 40s Cole Porter tune!  These are places where my heart lies, and yet, why does my brain choose to reside on the melody of “E.T,” by Katy Perry?

Are the producers of today really brilliant in that they create this simple melody and keep it on loop with some vile lyrics attached– and that’s your hit?

Typically, in “pop” music– since the beginning of what popular music was–which wasn’t always the image or sound bite of Britney Spears singing some ridiculous nasal disaster.  ”Popular” is where pop came from– meaning what everyone is listening to.  So, why do we have “pop” music of the 40s sounding like Ella Fitzgerald’s “So in Love.” (At the head of this post)

And we have “pop” music of today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzU9OrZlKb8

What makes this song inhabit our brains more?

Do I have to feel guilty that this song will be stuck in my head more than Ella Fitzgerald’s version of “So in Love?”

Perhaps our brains are becoming wired for immediacy of a “dance” beat.

And why does the chorus have to be put on loop?  Are we really developing such a short attention span that we can only keep the radio on, or only be dancing to the fast beat and no other kind? I mentioned this point to my group of eighth graders in General Music.  I was presenting a lesson on rap, and postulated why we had, in this style of music, still a definitive form- such as A B A’.  (Which, is verse-chorus-verse: i.e. “So in Love.”)

Even when Snoop was making his music, there was musicality involved:  They even included a suspension chord!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtUVQei3nX4&feature=artist

And have you noticed the emergence of auto-tune in mostly everyone’s music.  Meaning, you don’t have to have the talent to sing anymore, just show a marketable body and face and you can become a pop star. Also, the constant mixing in today’s music becomes catchy, yet annoying.  For instance, in “E.T” by Katy Perry– the mixed part of “Kiss me, Ki-ki-kiss me, take me- tay-tay-take me.”  It sounds like she’s stuttering. How come something that irritates can also be something of interest?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuYDSa4BRaw

So, when auto-tune is used it is incredibly definitive of an “ear-worm” as well.  We have a typical harmonic progression, captivating to the ear, with an expected melodic line.  A random group of people could come up with a melody like the one presented above.

Much more to come, but that’s some food for thought!

Musically and ear-wormingly yours 

Chelsea