Collage In Music

While collage is a technique of creation most generally associated with the visual arts,  when I think of collage I can’t help but think of music.  Since the advent of modern recording technology, it has become commonplace for musicians and producers to cut and paste different tracks over others. This collage of recordings first hit the main stream when George Martin began employing such methods when producing records for The Beatles. Today, the collage of recordings is endemic in genres such as rap, hip-hop and electronic music. Artists and producers have found success in the practice, as audiences have continued over time to respond positively to the collages.  When speaking about collage, I believe that it’s important to realize and note that it has crossed the boundaries of visual arts into other forms of art as well. Beyond music, collage now hold a place in film, literature, fashion design, and an array of other areas.

One Reply to “Collage In Music”

  1. Hi Jack,

    This is so interesting! I totally agree with you that collage goes across different media. If the definition of a collage that we used in class was “a form of visual art that assembles different forms resulting in a new whole,” it’s interesting to think about how new forms of ‘collaged’ music make commentary on the previous forms that it deconstructs or ruptures. This element makes collaged music really fit into a ‘Modernist’ genre, since it purposefully aims to be different than its predecessors, communicating messages in a new way.

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