The Infusion of Orchestral Music in the Modern Music Genre

Music is a vital art that has numerous influences on society. Despite the era or generation, music has been a key part in shaping societies worldwide, and any musical movement would have a lot to illustrate concerning the society at that time. Accordingly, the evolution of music depicts the current society and that of the past by incorporating the cultural ideologies of said societies. Additionally, different genres of music are incorporated into music pieces, making them distinct and diverse. The distinction of music genres is created using several elements of music, such as tone, dissonance, consonance, rhythm, melody, tempo, harmony, counterpoint, contrast, and dynamics (Jacobus & Martin, 2019). Consistently identifying the infusion of different genres of music, it is essential to understand the elements of music and the part they play in the infusion.

The Elements of Music

Several elements of music differentiate between the different genres of music. The first element is tone, “a sound with one definite frequency or a sound dominated by one definite frequency” (Jacobus & Martin, 2019, p. 225). A musical piece consists of a sequence of tones and overtones, which vary depending on the instruments used, helping people identify a music piece. The second element is dissonance, which is the instability of tones that are sounded simultaneously, creating interference in a piece of music. For instance, simultaneously playing close notes creates dissonance, creating tension in a music piece. The third element is consonance, which is the reverse of dissonance and results in a beautiful musical composition when notes are played simultaneously. Additionally, the repetition of dissonance creates consonance, which is identifiable by individuals. Another element of music is rhythm. Rhythm is the partial pattern of sound created by the notes utilized and their frequency in a piece. Melody is another music element, which is the note groups that are played continuously. Melodies vary from slow, somber, and playful, amongst other types.

Another element of music is tempo, which refers to the speed at which a piece is played. Beats are used to describe the tempo of a music piece and are defined as allegro, presto, moderato, andante, and finally, lento and largo (Jacobus & Martin, 2019). Harmony is another element of music, the simultaneous sound creation from tones played. Another element of music is counterpoint, whereby two melodies or musical lines or voices are played against each other. Dynamics is another element of music, and the contrast in volume is the loudness and softness of a music piece. Terms such as piano and forte are used to describe softness and loudness, respectively (Jacobus & Martin 2019). The final element is contrast. Contrast is the variance in melodies, rhythms, and dynamics created by instruments or voices. Accordingly, other elements of music are employed to create contrast in a piece.

Classical Music and Modern Music Genres

These elements of music establish the different genres of music and emphasize the differences in musical pieces. People have different preferences for various genres, including popular and classical music. Preference can be attributed to the feelings evoked by a music piece, which may evidently show why people prefer some genres more than others. Popular music is the most common or preferred genre with streams and downloads and is considered modern. Examples of modern or popular music genres include electronic dance music, country, hip hop, rap, rhythm, and blues, amongst others. In contrast to popular music, classical music is another musical genre. Wright (2016) defines classical music as “traditional music of any culture, usually requiring long years of training; it is “high art” or “learned,” timeless music that is enjoyed generation after generation” (p. 6). Classical music genres include orchestras, ensembles, symphonies, operas, concertos, sonata, ballet, and string quartets (Wright, 2016). From the aforementioned examples, these two genres are very different, as seen in the venues for performances and the dress code. A person attending an opera at an opera house or theatre will look very different from a person attending a Coachella performance. Accordingly, these two genres of music appear to be worlds apart, and thus, it is essential to differentiate them in order to understand how they would come together in a music piece.

Differences Between Classical Music and Modern Music Genres

Understanding the differences between modern and classical music genres stems from their different characteristics. On the one hand, modern music utilizes electrical enhancers and focuses on vocals fundamentally, short length, memorization, and a dominant beat (Wright, 2016). Electrical enhancers modify and boost not only the instruments in a piece but also the vocals; examples include the use of synthesizers. The focus on vocals is primarily enhanced with the lyrics of a piece, as shown in multiple popular music pieces on YouTube. Therefore, the focus is more on the lyrics that are sung; thus, vocals are vital in evoking emotions and feelings from listeners. Modern music tends to be short, many being shorter than ten minutes and with numerous repetitions in choruses. Further, their basis on vocals and lyrics gives them a memorization trait. Also, due to the lyrics, modern music becomes open to interpretation, and renditions can be made. Finally, the dominant beat in modern music makes it distinguishable, making listeners want to groove to the beat.

On the other hand, classical music is different from its length to its composition. First classical music pieces are mostly instrumental acoustically without electrical enhancements. Second, classical music pieces tend to be long, with some being up to more than half an hour long. Also, classical music pieces exist in written form and are usually maintained to preserve them as the art pieces they are. Lastly, classical music is dominated by melodies, in addition to harmony, and is not dominated by beats, as is the case in modern music. Consistently, the differences between classical music, such as Orchestra and modern music, are exhibited by the characteristics, and these characteristics will be essential in illustrating how classical music is being infused into modern music.

Orchestral Music

An orchestra is a group of people playing together using different instruments while being led by a conductor. There are several types of orchestras, “in addition to the symphonic orchestra, there are folk music orchestras, symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras, pop orchestras, and jazz orchestras” (Usarov & Ismoilova, 2022, p. 140). The type of Orchestra is determined by the instruments utilized in a music piece. Of all these examples of orchestral music, the symphonic Orchestra is the most popular or common. A critical part of the Orchestra entails the orchestral musicians who play the numerous instruments used. In the infusion of orchestral music into modern music, orchestral musicians are a significant part of the infusion. Therefore, it is essential to understand how orchestral musicians are different. Just as memorization is not a part of classical music, orchestral musicians do not memorize music pieces and are guided by a conductor using a baton.

According to Usarov & Ismoilova (2022), there are four groups of symphony orchestra instruments based on note structure. These groups include the string group, which plays a vital role in orchestral music as they influence the dynamics of the piece perceived by listeners. The string group includes the cello and violin, amongst other string instruments, all instruments employed yield timbre unique to itself. Another group is the woodwind instruments, including the flute and clarinet. The other group is the brass instruments with instruments such as trumpets and tuba. Percussion instruments constitute the third group of instruments, such as the xylophones and bells. All these groups are essential in the infusion of Orchestra into modern music, as some groups may be used more dominantly than others.

The Infusion

Since orchestral music is considered classic music, the modernization of this genre can be seen in the world today. This modernization can also be referred to as infusion by combining all the elements and characteristics of orchestral music into modern music. According to MacDonald et al. (2021), the modernization of orchestral music can involve improvisation, which occurs for several reasons, including; “imitation, silent listening, and playful explorations, etc.” (p.2). Accordingly, the reasons for the infusion of orchestral music into modern music vary.

One major reason for the infusion of orchestral music into modern music is music education. Popular culture and music have been consumed by society so much that popular music or modern music ensembles are being analyzed in schools; this is attributed to the creation of modern band programs (Powell, 2019). Consistently, in these programs, orchestral instruments are utilized but in addition to electronic enhancements, a trait of modern music. Further, students select their preferred instruments and are taught about songwriting promoting modern music, as the aforementioned vocals and lyrics are the basis for popular music. These students may, at one point in their lives, perform in orchestras, becoming orchestral musicians illustrating that orchestral music is infused into modern music because of they are orchestral musicians who are knowledgeable in both modern and orchestral music, as some have already participated in both genres, and improvisations of orchestral music into modern music would be expected. Furthermore, Powell (2019) argues that the increase in modern bands also reduces the chances of some students being interested in orchestras, with many students desiring to learn modern music. Consequently, modern music ensembles are created, which illustrate the infusion of orchestral music into modern music for the modern bands created.

Another reason for the infusion of orchestral music into modern music is the wide and non-restrictive stylistic phenomenon of modern music. Modern music allows people to explore and discover new music styles they can utilize for their music pieces (Maidenberg-Todorova, 2019). Composers can then explore their creativity in styles and applied techniques, giving orchestral music the unpredictability attributed to modern music. Additionally, orchestral music improvisation can also be shown in the performances by orchestral musicians. Accordingly, the infusion of orchestral music into the modern music genre is attributed to the composer who writes the pieces to be performed by the orchestral musician. Consistently, in this case, a lot of focus is given to the composer, as is the case in modern music, whereby the lyrics written are vital for a piece.

Further, the infusion of orchestral music in modern music has led to improvisational orchestras. These orchestras are defined as artistic and cultural phenomena as they appear to be the result of the coming together of academics and jazz music. They have several characteristics that make them stand out from classical orchestras. First is the use of a gestural palette, whereby an orchestra conductor uses specific gestures that are developed, such as the “gvidonova hand,” to indicate a specific pitch (Maidenberg-Todorova, 2019, p. 288). Additionally, hand gestures also indicate the length of a sound, which influences the dynamics and rhythm. In the classical Orchestra, the musicians follow the baton led by a conductor, but in the case of modernized Orchestra, musicians follow the gestures of the conductor, and in some cases, they use the baton as all the gestures guide the music pieces. Maidenberg-Todorova (2019) presents an example whereby the gestures of a conductor guide the orchestral musicians; for instance, when the conductor “plays an imaginary saxophone, then this means that the instrument or group should play solo” (p. 288), the group, in this case, refers to the aforementioned groups in Orchestra.

Additionally, using gestures in an improvised Orchestra creates room for incorporating different styles in the piece. According to Maidenberg-Todorova (2019), the infused Orchestra lasts from the moment it is created or played, as it is unpredictable as expected of modern music; for this reason, it is recorded for future purposes. Also, the infusion of orchestral music into modern music occurs with the objective of finding unique timbre, which does not restrict orchestral music to the traits of classical orchestral music, allowing it to explore modern music characteristics.

Another result of the infusion of Orchestra in modern music is the Scratch Orchestra. According to Maidenberg-Todorova (2019), the scratch orchestra was created by orchestral musicians who desired to exchange their musical experiences and play and perform together. This Orchestra is different in that it depends on the orchestral musicians’ skills, as lyric writing depends on the lyricist in modern music. In some instances, classical music pieces are used as a basis for new creations by improvising the original pieces using the skills of the orchestral musicians. These scratch musicians use a “constitution” that guides the creation of their pieces, including the selections of samples from classical music that were popular in their time (Maidenberg-Todorova, 2019). The composition of orchestral music infused with modern music varies in terms of the number of musicians and the quality of compositions as the two genres come together to create a unique piece of music. The infusion of orchestral music in modern music can also be illustrated in the modern understanding of classical orchestral music.

Conclusion

In conclusion, any form of art is constantly changing with art movements alongside society. Changes occur in numerous forms, such as the rendition of classic music pieces into modern music pieces. The infusion of orchestral music into modern music is an example of the evolution of art when two distinct genres come together to create music pieces. The infusion is influenced by the different traits of each genre stemming from differences in the elements of music. All these characteristics are important in the infusion of orchestral music in modern music. Additionally, there are several reasons for the infusion, including improvision and the creation of new genres of orchestral music. Also, the popularity of modern music has led to more desire for popular music, contributing to the infusion of orchestral music into modern music as people’s preferred genre.

References

Jacobus, L. A., & Martin, F. D. (2019). The Humanities Through The Arts (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

MacDonald, R., Burke, R., De Nora, T., Sappho Donohue, M., & Birrell, R. (2021). Our virtual tribe: Sustaining and enhancing community via online music improvisation. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.623640

Maidenberg-Todorova, K. (2019). Improvisational Orchestra As An Actual Phenomenon Of Modern Professional Music. National Academy of Managerial Staff of Culture and Arts Herald, (3). https://doi.org/10.32461/2226-3209.3.2019.191790

Powell, B. (2019). Modern Bands Impact on Student Enrollment in Traditional Music Ensembles. School Music News- New York State School Music Association. https://doi.org/https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1041&context=cali-facpubs

Usarov , G., & Ismoilova, M. (n.d.). Symphony Orchestra and its Instruments. View of Symphony Orchestra and its instruments. http://inter-publishing.com/index.php/IJISE/article/view/396/341

Wright, C. M. (2016). The Essential Listening to Music (2nd ed.). Wadsworth.

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