Music at Mars Hill: The Joys of Community Music Listening

Last updated on: October 9, 2012 at 11:59 am by Luke Larsen

Music at Mars Hill: The Joys of Community Music Listening 2012-10-09T11:59:12-06:00 Luke Larsen

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I’ve been interning at PasteMagazine.com for a couple weeks now down in Decatur, GA and one thing I’ve been turned on to is the wonders of community listening via turntable.fm. For so long, community listening was such a vital part of the music-listening experience. Whether it was sitting around a group of performers, the radio, or a record player, technology and the idea of experiencing music in the context of community have always had an interesting mutual relationship.

For so long, technology was making music louder, more expansive, and more available to more people. However, in the last ten years or so the popularity of Walkmen, iPods, and the internet have created an individualistic and incredibly personal culture of music. More people were listening to music on their own, establishing these personal and deeply emotional connections to the music, but also leaving the idea of community behind.

While the music culture of today is still focused on the individual, sites like Turntable.fm and Last.fm are attempting to bring the excitement of community listening back into our culture. With the ability to share, comment on, and listen to music together, the social and communal aspects of music that have always been present in the past are once again a part of our culture now.

So I encourage you: get on turntable, start DJing, and make some friends. It’ll be good for you.

Previous Post

August 31, 2011

What Memes Mean: The Novelty Of Baby Preachers

Next Post

September 1, 2011 Taking Dr. King Even More Seriously

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz