Jordan Clark

Music Fundamentals

Mrs. Twitchell

1-6-10

Differences in Music

There are many different types of music. There are many different ways music can be
classified and then there are the millions of ways that music can be subcategorized after being
categorized into their respective genres. The three I will be covering are Broadway music, pop
music, and rock music.

“What is the origin of evil? Is someone born evil? Or does something in their life change
them forever?” People who have heard this know right off the bat that this is from the play
“Wicked.” It is a play that portrays perfectly the music put into the genre of Broadway music.

Broadway music is named so because it is originally preformed on Broadway. The music

is used to help tell a story or emphasize a particular part in the story. It can differentiate between
being really serious, for example the main theme from the “Phantom of the Opera,” to being
humorous, like the song “Popular” from the play “Wicked.”

One genre that appeals to most everyone is pop music owing to its light and
catchy qualities. Pop music is so aptly called because it is a categorization that is largely based
on the popularity of a song. During the 50s, popular tunes were those that were vocally rich with
a string accompaniment and a vocal chorus back up. Country music and American folk music
were great hits along with variations of standard formats.

Pop music has a great range of styles. And each has its own greatness accordingly. What
we know of today as "pop" or popular music evolved in American society over many, many
decades. Pop music, which accounts for the majority of the music on today's charts, is an eclectic
mix of many different styles of music.

Rock music is a type of music originating in the U.S. in the mid-1950s and is increasingly
popular throughout much of the world. Rock music is often associated with heavy
instrumentation, reverberating through a sound system, and played by hyperactive musicians
wearing all-black garb. This kind of music has enjoyed over half a century of popularity with its
strong beat and catchy melody.

Rock music started in the 1940s and the 1950s as a fusion of rhythm and blues, gospel
music, and country music. Instrumentation for rock music often includes electric guitar, bass
guitar, drums, and keyboards. Others add to their line-up reed instruments like the saxophone
and the French horn. String instruments like the mandolin and the sitar are occasionally seen in
the realm of rock music.

These three genres differ tremendously. Though they may have some similarities, they
are ultimately different on a number of levels. The two that have the most similarities are pop
and rock. They both tell their own stories and express so much feeling towards the heart of the
story. Broadway music shares little to no similarities to pop and rock.

There are many genres in the world. They differ accordingly. The three that I have
covered show how different music can be. The more people listen to music, that much more
music is created.