Respond to six posts, 6 - 7 sentences each

Respond to two original responses thoroughly in a manner that invites an extension of the conversation. In other words, “I totally agree with you” is NOT a sufficient response. Each peer response should be approximately 6 – 7 sentences, or a paragraph in length. Response needs strong structure and a logical flow. You don't need to answer the original questions.

Part B

Original Questions

Consider the impact of the Internet on music. Please answer the following questions.

Do you think the Internet as a technology helps or hurts musical artists? Why do so many contemporary musical performers differ in their opinions about the Internet?

How has the Internet changed your musical tastes? Do you listen to a wider range of music because of the Internet?

Student A's post

I definitely think internet helps musical artists because of how easy it is to make playlists as well as creating music that will appeal to the larger public community. Without the internet, people would have to go out to a music store to buy a record, CD, or album but thanks to advanced technology and the internet today we could find any song to listen to at the click of a button. Thanks to companies such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Soundcloud we are given access to countless songs, and gives us the opportunity to listen to almost anything we want at any time. I believe one of the reasons why many contemporary musical performers differ in opinions is because although the internet is quick access, convenient, and could go viral easily, the downside includes not creating original content or other issues regarding the making of "real music." In addition, many artists nowadays create a bunch of beats put together and call that a song, but it's really lost the true meaning of what a song conveys through beautiful soundtracks and meaningful lyrics as a result of using the internet. I also think that the internet could actually have a negative affect on music. One example being that artists make much less money due to the fact that there are so many ways to get access to their music for free compared to the past where you would have to actually make a purchase to listen to a song. 

The internet has undeniably changed my musical tastes. Due to many different apps such as Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify and more, I am able to explore different types of musical artists and genres. I would have never discovered new music and would not have known about certain artists or songwriters without the internet as well as technology giving me that opportunity. In addition to these great music apps, something I personally enjoy listening to and think is a great way to discover new music is through a playlist I follow on Spotify called “New Music Friday.” On the Spotify playlist “New Music Friday” every week, Spotify composes a new playlist filled with the latest hits, and a variety of different style songs and artists. The beauty of this playlist is its diversity that caters to many different types of music listeners. This is one of the many amazing ways there are today to uncover new musical tastes and have a wider range of music to listen to thanks to the Internet. I personally have multiple playlists filled with a variation of different types of music which I prefer to listen to depending on my mood or what I’m doing. For example, when I want to exercise I will listen to more hype, upbeat, motivating music, or if I’m doing school work I’ll listen to calmer music that will help focus myself, and allow me to concentrate better.

Student B's post

1. Often times, I see the Internet as a beneficial tool to society as a whole. Regarding musical artists, I also see the Internet as beneficial. It allows artists to explore different genres or lyrics to songs of popular or upcoming artists. This can inspire other musicians to create and pursue their passions. Furthermore, the Internet allows musicians to publish their work for the world to see. This is how a lot of people are discovered and later become “big.” The availability of music across the Internet helps artists grow their fandom globally and transform into something even greater. Additionally, upcoming artists can market their own work and grow on their own without the help of a label company. They would then be able to keep all profits to themselves and not have to share it with the label company. This can be a way for artists to reach their success. In contrast, I think a lot of contemporary performers differ in their opinions about the Internet because there is also a lot of negativity out there. People have the power to use the Internet to make negative and harmful comments about one’s work. This may prevent one from pursuing their dreams or it may hinder their success. Even if somebody has loads of confidence and believes in their abilities, they can still be impacted by the comments people make. Another reasons contemporary performers may have differing opinions is because the accessibility of music has made it more difficult for artists to make money. People can illegally download and freely listen to both popular and unpopular music.

2. The Internet has allowed me to explore different genres of music. More specifically, once I found my preferred genre, I have been able to find remixes or covers to the songs I enjoy listening to. I can also find similar artists to the ones I like and then start listening to their music, as well. Therefore, I don’t necessarily listen to a wider range of music because of my Internet access, but I do expand the list of songs I do like within the music I prefer.