Write a short reflective essay that compares and contrasts two views of the music industry. The attached files contain two accounts of the music industry, one written by Howard Becker and the other written by David Lee Roth. In Becker’s study, pay particular attention to the way in which the musicians he interviews discuss their work environment and their audiences. The second reading is from a memoir by David Lee Roth, the singer of Van Halen, in which he recounts the band’s initial attempts to break into the music industry. Howard Becker’s article is a landmark in 20th century sociology, but he also sheds light on aspects of the music and entertainment industry that are often ignored. The histories of music are generally populated with famous songwriters and composers (The Beatles, Beethoven, etc.), but we rarely hear about the armies of anonymous professional musicians who do a lot of the actual performing. Becker’s article focuses on musicians who make a living playing in clubs, at weddings, or under other professional circumstances. As a sociologist, he approaches professional musicians as one might any other subculture or society, noting general characteristics and trends. In particular, you’ll see that the musicians Becker interviews tend to isolate themselves from “square” society in favor of a more autonomous lifestyle and they often have rather low opinions of the clients they play for. Becker also relates their work to that of any other professional in the service industries (caterers, maître d’s, etc.). Anyone who has worked in customer service might sympathize somewhat. However, even as the musicians complain about having to play music they dislike or find boring, they clearly still want to entertain their audiences. Contrast this with the view of show business presented by David Lee Roth in the chapter “Ignition” from his memoir Crazy from the Heat. Even though Van Halen is just beginning to get underway and faces a number of obstacles and trials along the way, note the difference in tone here. Of course, Roth clearly remembers these past events fondly because they led to his later fame, so he’s likely glossing over less memorable gigs that don’t have good stories attached. However, make special note of when Roth urges the Van Halen brothers (guitarist Eddie and drummer Alex) to do exactly what musicians in Becker’s study claim to hate! Compare and contrast the two accounts in a 500 word essay. Answer the following questions in your writing: What similarities do you notice? How do the experiences of the aspiring Van Halen differ from those of the professional musicians? How do you account for the differences?
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