Electronica Music and Its Impact on the Music Industry Essay - 1

Electronica Music and Its Impact on the Music Industry - Essay Example Electronica Music and Its Impact on the Music Industry Ultimately, within a span of a decade the elements comprising the original electronica genre were reborn within the recent music scene itself, as it became infused with other popular genres such as hip-hop, rap, rock, and dance music (Bogdanov 634). This helped the next generation of audiences in appreciating electronica’s legacy as one of the earliest predecessors of contemporary music today. The Historical Background of Electronica as a Musical Genre Electronica was originally used around the 1950’s in Hollywood movies for background music, in order to emphasize on the emotions of the characters being portrayed (Collins 78). Influenced by classical music, electronica became a mood-maker in cinema, implying the character’s detachment from reality. It was also borne out of a cultural purpose of widening and increasing what is considered to be musical sounds (Dunn 2). In later years there was an increase in the frequency of electronica played outside the movie ind ustry, and in the late 1960’s Europe electronica can be heard in the radiowaves, most notably in Germany (Keith). The avant-garde music scene along with the movies gave way to electronica becoming a futuristic and space-themed music (Dunn 14; Reynolds). Some of the known composers of early electronica include William S. Burroughs, Klaus Schulze, and Walter Carlos (Keith; Reynolds). They usually worked together with performers to create a distinct sound for each one. Some of the performers of early electronica that collaborated with these early composers and became well-known were Tangerine Dream, Tomita, Can, Faust and Neu!, King Crimson, and ELP (Keith; Reynolds). These early performers became known due to their strong resolve in making distinct, wild, and original sounds that use nearly everything from home-made gadgets to large, modular synthesizers. As the genre grew, there were also important changes in electronica such as its beginnings of being trickled slowly with traditional instruments (Collins 137). Gradually there became an acceptance of a wide variety of electronic instruments included with other non-electronic ones, and has now became staples in commonly-heard music (Dunn 6). This also allowed the increased use of elec tronic music instruments in the growing disco scene of the 1970’s (Mickley). Electronica rapidly evolved due to the vast leaps in technological advancement (Dunn 8). As a result, there came a wide availability of electronically-based instruments such as synthesizers and analogs that can alter the sounds produced, and the arrival of other electronic-based instruments such as keyboards and guitars. There was also an increased acceptability of electronica amongst listeners, leading to the development of important genres from electronica (Bogdanov 14). These include music that have a greater focus on accompaniment instead of vocals such as electronic dance music (EDM), funky beats, dance-pop, techno, and experimental rock. The Cultural Background of Electronica Most of the original listeners and audiences of electronica were late teens to people in their early 30’s, people from middle or working class and with near-equal mix of genders appreciating it(Campbell 323).Countri es that allowed the proliferation of

Water Pollution and Drinking Water Safety Research Paper

Water Pollution and Drinking Water Safety - Research Paper Example The earth surface is 72% water most of it in liquid form. Drinking is a major use of water and, this draws the boundary between clean and polluted water. Water pollution is the introduction of foreign substance or contaminant on natural water sources such as rivers and lakes. Water pollution is a life-threatening problem and it has been attributed to civilization and increased human activities. Water that is available for drinking is continuously replaced by polluted water. This essay will investigate the implication of water pollution on drinking water. Different forms of water pollution can broadly be classified as natural and artificial pollution. Natural pollution is the introduction of foreign substance on water bodies through natural processes. This includes water pollution through soil erosion and other biological process such as decay. On the other hand, artificial pollution is the introduction of pollutant into water bodies through human activities. This includes intentional and unintentional dumping of material in water bodies. Industrial wastes, raw sewerage, agricultural chemicals, and domestic refuse are the main artificial water pollutant. Water pollution can be either point source or non point source. Point source water pollution refers to the entry of pollution through a single or a major point (Postel 97). This is a major characteristic for pollution caused by industrial waste. Non point source pollution refers to the introduction of pollutant through a multiple points. This is a major source of pollution for water bodies such as rivers passing through urban centers. The high rate of pollution of surface water has increased the importance of underground water as a source of drinking water. Unlike surface water, ground water is free from artificial pollution. However, ground water is prone to natural pollutant that makes it unsafe for drinking. Chemical substance such as sodium, iron, and manganese are the main pollutant of ground water. The lev el of concentration these substance determines the level of water pollution (Postel 91). In most cases, chemical pollution of ground water reaches severe levels making it unsafe for human consumption. This indicates that pollution is a major problem and a problem that threatens humanity. Pollution of ground water contributes to the scarcity of drinking water since ground water is the only alternative for safe drinking water that people have. Impacts of water pollution Pollution depletes water that is available for human consumption or for drinking. This is a problem of particular interest to developed countries. Despite being developed, people in these countries do not have access to drinking water due to pollution. India and China leads other countries in terms of water pollution and scarcity of safe drinking water. This is a contradiction since countries like China have abundant fresh water sources. Similarly, India has massive water resources despite its rivers being among the mo st polluted. Lack of safe drinking water in these countries is well indicated by the number of deaths that results from water poisoning (Cloete 104). It is estimated that in India 14, 000 people die annually due to water poisoning. The children are the most affected by lack of safe drinking water. Currently the country’s medical facilities handle over 1000 cases resulting from water related problems. Most of these cases are fatal and they cause most infant deaths. A survey carried by Habitat for Humanity on water bodies in US indicated that 47% of lakes in the country are at a severe state of pollution. In addition, 32% of bays and estuarine are polluted. This statistics shows that the countries suffer from acute water pollution a