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To win appreciation, music needs criticism
Like the House of Representatives, which plays a checks-and-balances role so that the government cannot act as it pleases, music criticism is a reminder that music should not be created without thought.
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Headliners: Indonesian rock band Slank performs at the M20 (Music20) concert at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, East Jakarta, on March 11, 2022. (YouTube/DSS Music)
M
usic is entertainment. Most of us, especially those who update their musical vocabulary through major media such as television and radio, would agree with that statement. This is because big media has transformed music into a showbiz industry and selling entertainment.
However, there are a handful of people who think music is more than just entertainment.
According to the description of music anthropologist Alan P Merriam, music has 10 main functions in society. (Merriam, 1964). Entertainment is one of them. In addition, music is related to emotional expression, aesthetic appreciation, communication, symbolism, physical reactions, social norms, validation of social institutions, cultural continuity and community integration.
With so many roles music can play, why is music only considered entertainment? This single perspective is dangerous because it generates tolerance of or indifference to bad music in the Indonesian music industry. People do not seem to care about songs that are very monotonous and almost uniform, both in terms of music and lyrics. As long as they are entertaining, that’s enough.
There are two factors that have shaped an industry ecosystem that treats music as entertainment ornaments to fill spare time in the country. First is the lack of music criticism that accompanies the journey of the Indonesian music industry.
Why does music criticism matter? Like the House of Representatives, which plays a checks-and-balances role so that the government cannot act as it pleases, music criticism is a reminder that music should not be created without thought.
Music critics are needed to maintain the quality of music. As Suka Hardjana puts it, in music, there is a correlation between criticism and appreciation. Music criticism will improve audience appreciation.
