When the electric guitar and the trap set became a regular part of the popular music scene, the cultures began to clash, the tensions mounted, and people became polarized. It was the 1950s when this first became obvious, finding greater momentum in the 1960s. Amazingly enough, 60 years later we still live with this tension today. It is funny, even absurd and pathetic, to imagine how often some people hold on to an ideal that has no relevance or completely misses the mark. We champion a cause, and all of us do, that cannot be sustained over time. We point to our heroes or certain ideas as being model examples of our belief system until we discover that our hero or our concept has betrayed us in some way. Rarely can we state unequivocally that one side is always virtuous and the other full of vice or that there is one right way to make music or one wrong way. The ambiguity of art is its very strength and, sadly, its natural inherent weakness. We scream for quality and we demand excellence at all levels; and yet, we have defined these terms through heritage rather than through objective means.
Sound, in and of itself, has no moral position. A sound can neither be good nor bad, right nor wrong, virtuous nor evil. No tone or timbre regardless of whether it is the richness of a violin or the harshness of a chainsaw contains any kind of quality to make it cause a certain behavior or to empower other sounds or people in any kind of sense. A sound is not magical and does not contain properties within itself to change a person or a culture or civilization. There really is not a God-ordained sound in the world nor is there a devil-inscribed agenda on any tone. There is nothing pagan, suggestive, nor deliberately misleading in any sound and, conversely, there are no angels, goodness, or purity in any tone heard by the human ear. Obviously text gives sound a particular meaning but without text, it is simply sound--no more and no less.
There is, however, association with sound and there are, in vast array, preferences for particular sounds. This is true and right and, in some great but intangible way, what makes us a collection of individuals, each with unique blend of preferences, thoughts, and emotions. But with this mosaic of preferences inevitably comes misguided, although well-intentioned, ideas of what constitutes good or bad sound, at least in terms of moral attitude. When we discuss criteria for judgment of sound, we do so with a prescribed set of expectations. Approaching sound with a standard of excellence in mind or with an idea of what constitutes excellence obviously does require ascribing good quality or bad quality to the result, but to reiterate, sound, in and of itself, cannot be good nor bad. It is just sound--it has no moral fiber and no ability to discern its own qualifications for excellence.
Now onto the discussion at hand--guitars and drums. Although both instruments have been around for several centuries, dating back to Medieval times and probably earlier, it was in the 20th century that things began to change. The invention of the electric guitar along with the ability to collect percussion instruments into a single, complex unit gave us sounds never imagined. Both instruments found their pathway in the areas of music for entertainment including Jazz, Broadway, Pop, Rock, Ragtime, Big Bands, and eventually, although used rarely, in serious art music such as Third Stream and Leonard Bernstein's eclectic scores. But herein lies the problem: with few exceptions these instruments have not found residence in academic nor cultivated art music circles. Electric Guitars and Drum Sets are continually battling for the recognition as legitimate instruments for all music.
Many cultural clashes occurred with the rise of Rock music in the 50s including race relations, teenage rebellion, clothing styles, religious differences, and sound questions. Sadly and amazingly, both the electric guitar and the trap set quickly became associated with Rock and Roll of the late 50s and 60s, thus resulting in becoming pariahs of the so-called cultured adult world. The instruments still suffer from this association today, particularly in academia. We are comfortable relegating them to their domiciles in the jazz band or the occasional combo performing jazz or some hybrid of jazz, but beyond those genres, we tend to reject their validity in music study today.
Regardless of the role of the electric guitar and the trap set in academic circles, the instruments enjoy great popularity and credibility in most kinds of music for entertainment and in worship in churches. While they may occasionally feel slighted by the academic community, their very ubiquitous role in all other settings gives them a lasting place in culture. Rejected by some, accepted by most, electric guitars and drum sets are valued instruments deserving of study and acknowledgement by the academic community. Therein lies the clash--should instruments used primarily for popular music be considered a vital part of the music curriculum in academic communities?
As we continue to make our programs relevant, it is time to recognize the value of popular music's role not simply in music but as an expression of current thought, philosophical trends, and cultural expectations. When we decide to expand our curriculum, we will need to include a greater use of instruments not previously considered a part of academic study. Until this happens, clash of guitars and drums with traditional classical music will continue.
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