the people's choice music

[piranha]

russian artists komar & melamid together with composer david soldier conducted an experiment about most and least wanted music.

The most favored ensemble, determined from a rating by participants of their favorite instruments in combination, comprises a moderately sized group (three to ten instruments) consisting of guitar, piano, saxophone, bass, drums, violin, cello, synthesizer, with low male and female vocals singing in rock/r&b style. The favorite lyrics narrate a love story, and the favorite listening circumstance is at home. [...]

The most unwanted music is over 25 minutes long, veers wildly between loud and quiet sections, between fast and slow tempos, and features timbres of extremely high and low pitch, with each dichotomy presented in abrupt transition. The most unwanted orchestra was determined to be large, and features the accordion and bagpipe (which tie at 13% as the most unwanted instrument), banjo, flute, tuba, harp, organ, synthesizer (the only instrument that appears in both the most wanted and most unwanted ensembles). An operatic soprano raps and sings atonal music, advertising jingles, political slogans, and "elevator" music, and a children's choir sings jingles and holiday songs.[...]

i like accordion and bagpipe. :) also flute, harp, and organ.

via bruceb.

Comments

[tiger-spot.livejournal.com]

I like bagpipes, flutes, harps, and organs, too. But not all together.

Accordions also have their place, but their place is mostly being funny.

[la-penguinita.livejournal.com]

i like accordion and bagpipe. :) also flute, harp, and organ.

I was just thinking that as I was reading the "unwanted" music section! I recently discovered a bagpipe band that plays rock music. Awesome stuff!!

Gotta say, though, my favorite instruments are the cello and the oboe.

[embryomystic.livejournal.com]

I love pipe rock. Are you talking about Mudmen, by any chance?

[la-penguinita.livejournal.com]

Wow. I've never heard of Mudmen! I'll have to go check 'em out.

Actually, I was referring to The Rogues. They're out of Texas (of all places!) I guess they're not straight rock (they were playing plenty of sea chanties for the Pirate Weekend at the MD RenFest), but they've got quite a mix on their albums.

[tiger-spot.livejournal.com]

::takes notes::

[embryomystic.livejournal.com]

Oh, cool! I'll have to check them out.

Mudmen are pretty neat.

[novazembla.livejournal.com]

PDQ Bach has a piece for bagpipe, bicycle, and balloons.

@%<

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

That latter description sounds *so awesome*.

[daev.livejournal.com]

I wonder how much the objection to accordion is the sort of music and style in which it's typically played. I listen to a lot of Anglo-Celtic folk-rock, and accordion is well-used and enjoyable there, playing the same sort of sonic role as synthesizer does in mainstream rock.

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that 90% of both the people who profess to hate the accordion and the people who think it's intrinsically funny can't un-conflate the instrument and stereotypical German polka music.

[sabotabby]

You know how people say "I like every style of music except for [pick any two out of these three: country, opera, and rap]."? Yeah, that's pretty much my taste in music if you throw in an accordion and maybe a musical saw.

[embryomystic.livejournal.com]

I've never understood why so many people have such a hate-on for bagpipes.

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

Reeds are pretty harsh. Drones aren't to everyone's taste. And the Scottish Highland pipes, which is what everybody means when they say "bagpipes" even though there are hundreds of different kinds of bagpipes in the world, are exceedingly loud. When one tends to not like something and it's so intrusive one can't just ignore it, one quickly goes from "meh" to hating it.

[embryomystic.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was going to say something about preferring uilleann pipes to the standard Highland pipes. I dunno, I guess that's a sensible progression, though even the very-loud Highland pipes tug at my heartstrings. I'm a somewhat-sentimental Scottish Canadian, what can I say?

[daev.livejournal.com]

I think you would be pleased to know that Leland now owns and plays two instruments, the banjo and the accordion. I'll be sure to tell him your article suggested he take up the bagpipes and tuba. He is now living on a houseboat (further proof that you can be very influential) so I think the pipe organ is impractical.