“Won’t you help me sing these songs of freedom?”

The influence that music has throughout the world is immeasurable. Music evokes many feeling, surfaces old memories, and creates new ones all while satisfying a sense of human emotion. With the ability to help identify a culture, as well as educate countries about other cultures, music also provides for a sense of knowledge. Music can be a tool for many things: relaxation, stimulation and communication. But at the same time it can also be a tool for resistance: against parents, against police against power. Within the reign of imported culture, cross cultivation and the creation of the so-called global village lies the need to expand horizons to engulf more than just what you see everyday. It is important to note that the role of music in today’s world is a key tool in the process of globalization. However, this does not necessarily provide us with any reasons that would make us believe that music has a homogenizing affect on the world.

Globalization is becoming one of the most controversial topics in today’s world. We see people arguing over the loss of a nation’s cult

on a gross profit margin of thirty to thirty-five percent, whereas overseas this margin can top forty-five percent. This comes from evidence that American pop stars demand a higher sense of appreciation and perks compared to foreign stars that demand less and cut less exclusive record deals. To top it off, the prices of albums on foreign markets are higher than that of the United States market.

Seeing that westernization has become a industry term for many businesses it is surprising that recently much of the profit that has been received from music conglomerates has been non-U.S. artists. As shown in the July 17, 1995 issue of Forbes one-third of the Warner Music’s three hundred and eighteen dollar revenues in 1980 came from non U.S. artists. This was then followed up by sixty percent of their 1994 revenues, which totaled over six hundred and thirty million. Warner Music is not the only company that has seen a boom in foreign artist sales. Consequently, EMI reports that it received one-third of its three billion dollars in revenue has also come from foreign artists. Polygram also reported that one half of its three billion plus revenues has come from the evolution of foreign pop culture. So why has this become the product to import? Well once again it is very well evident in the numbers. The bottom line is that Record companies in the United States operate !

As noted by the Music Council of Australia (MCA) it is globalization that has an affect on music. They state:

ural identity, the terror of westernization, and the reign of cultural imperialism. Through topics such as these we explore the possibilities or the existence of hybridization of cultures and values, and what some feel is the exploitation of their heritage. One important aspect that is not explored is that such influences can also be more than just a burden and an overstepping of bounds. These factors can create an educational environment as well as a reaffirmation of one’s own culture.

Some topics in this essay:
Globalization Music, Michael Jackson, Consequently EMI, Virgin UK, Australia MCA, North American, David Byrne, Hassan Egyptian, Christina Aguilera, Warner Music’s, today’s world, globalization music, cultural imperialism, music throughout world, throughout world, culture music, foreign artists, music throughout, 1990 sales, italian song, creation global,