Genre in Music: Constructive Constriction

Genre has been an influential factor in music since before Edison even dreamed of the Blue Amberol. Casual listeners and die-hard music fanatics both describe their musical tastes overwhelmingly in terms of genre (as opposed to instrumentation, skill, or individual performer). For the musician, however, genre is a mixed blessing. He is blessed by its gift of association and yet constricted by its well-defined boundaries as regards the internet, radio, or record store. The effect of genre permeate the music industry and its coverage is almost complete with the exception of select virtuosos and bands with novel marketing and promotion strategies.

For the unknown artist, genre can be a boon. No one can claim knowledge of the complete human catalog of music, so naturally audiences will create useful divisions within that catalog: rock, pop, country, blues, classical. The listener benefits in that he can easily select music within a genre with relative certainty that it will be enjoyable. To correlate, the recording artist has the benefit of what is essentially free promotion- his work falls within a genre that sets his record next to the biggest names in the field, usually in alphabetical order. Through this mutually beneficial relationship, the unknown artist gains exposure while the listener remains confident that their selection will not jar too much on their tastes.

Of course, this same expedience manages to leave behind those whose music is not easily defined by a single genre. After the release of the hit film, "O Brother Where Art Thou," country music radio stations refused to play the undeniably roots-influenced music because it fell too far out of the generic constrictions of their stations. Record labels often times are hesitant to sign quality, talented acts because their style of music crosses over into a genre that the label does not promote. The label is thus unable to sell the CD effectively, as the label's listenership does not match that of the artist.

In many ways, genre has been incorporated into the market scheme of supply and demand. The arbitrarily drawn boundaries of the various genres have become commodities demanded by consumers and supplied by record labels. Often times, artists compromise their creative vision to make their music more marketable, more generic. In an extreme case, Shania Twain released three mixes of her album, "UP:" a red (rock) mix, a blue (euro/dance) mix, and a green (bluegrass) mix. The resulting music, engineered specifically to be marketable, went multi-platinum. It should be noted, however, that she earned the undying enmity of critics the world over for pandering to audiences and exploiting genre to sell more records.

To truly break free of generic constraints, a band must be able to attract its own audience, thus eliminating the need for the benefits of genre discussed earlier. This is accomplished either through extremely effective marketing or through extreme virtuosity, often times both. An example of the former is Wilco, a rock band originally on a country label that effectively marketed its music by allowing free mp3 downloads of their recordings. By offering these free downloads, Wilco managed to bypass the "market" and promote their music directly to the audience.

The virtuosos of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones represent the latter category: virtuosity. All masters of their respective instruments, this jazz band draws on myriad influences ranging from classical to bluegrass, and has maintained popularity for more than ten years as a result of their musical prowess. Bela and his band have superseded both the market and genre by defining their music not by sound but by technical skill. Indeed, while the Flecktones generally fall under the genre of "jazz," their sound covers almost all genres from classical and bluegrass to hip-hop, sometimes even in the same song.

In light of these examples, it is uncertain whether or not genre is ultimately a detriment or a benefit to artists. It effects each artist differently based on their creative vision, their talent, and their ability to market music. For the listener, genre remains as a helpful organizational tool. However, carried into the realm of the market, genre stands to limit both artist and listener, providing incentive for the industry to produce more acts like Shania and fewer like Wilco or Bela Fleck. As one's musical tastes expand, however, genre is subject to a de-emphasis and is replaced by taste. Hopefully, as music and easy access to it become more pervasive in society, better taste will develop amongst consumers and genre will fall back into its original, less market-driven role.