non jazz/classical muisic in Trek?

[blockaderunner]

In Trek, they say that the reason everyone listens to jazz and classical music in the future is because everyone is evolved and refined (even though at one time refined people once derided jazz as "jungle music" of the negro. But I digress). But we all know that most jazz and classical standards are in public domain and though it would make sense that someone from the 23rd or 24th century might still be listening to the Beatles or Sam & Dave, the studio's aren't ready to pony up the cash for the right to play that music (which is why it was so expensive to produce Journeyman).

So I figured out a problem that would make Trek more relevant and actually help out struggling musicians. The studio puts out an open submission for unsigned and independent (as opposed to "indie" which is just another corporate brand) bands of all genres. A panel of music geeks can comb through the music and see which songs can be used for which Trek project. Then they can give credit to the artist(s) and provide a download of the music for a small fee that goes to the band and even a link to their site. It works out for everyone. Some band can get some recognition and payment, and Trek characters won't appear to be a bunch of stuffy fuddy duddies that act way older than they are. They should do this soon because I can't imagine Chris Pine's Kirk listening to some smooth jazz combo or Bizet.

 

[The Castellan]

Yea...I can't picture some 15 year old jamming to Beathoven...I myself like classical stuff, but no way in hell can I listen to it when I'm in, say, the gym, I'd be falling asleep at the bench press....which would be a bad thing.

 

[Myasishchev]

They had that quasi-music that Endar's kid was listening to in "Suddenly Human." It was ugly enough that I can believe it came from the future or aliens. Talarian zen music.

Really, I'm not that convinced licensing songs is that expensive. If it were, Enterprise should have dropped that Rod Stewart song once it fell into the red (episode 3 or so). I mean, I'm open to the possibility that it's infeasible, but I would really need to see harder numbers.

The idea as it stands is good, but it wouldn't be particularly interesting unless they could provide some plausibly futuristic music. Hearing 21st century music from some band you've never heard of, and that virtually no one has ever heard of, would not provide the flash of recognition and feeling of a shared culture a good standard would provide. Just cough up the dough and buy the license to "Vietnow" or something. Fear is your only god on the subspace radio.

 

[JoeFromEarth]

klingon opera? like in the voyager episode where the doctor has kids and a family?

 

[The Castellan]

They had that quasi-music that Endar's kid was listening to in "Suddenly Human." It was ugly enough that I can believe it came from the future or aliens. Talarian zen music.

Really, I'm not that convinced licensing songs is that expensive. If it were, Enterprise should have dropped that Rod Stewart song once it fell into the red (episode 3 or so). I mean, I'm open to the possibility that it's infeasible, but I would really need to see harder numbers.

The idea as it stands is good, but it wouldn't be particularly interesting unless they could provide some plausibly futuristic music. Hearing 21st century music from some band you've never heard of, and that virtually no one has ever heard of, would not provide the flash of recognition and feeling of a shared culture a good standard would provide. Just cough up the dough and buy the license to "Vietnow" or something. Fear is your only god on the subspace radio.

Not to mention it might help some unknown singers/bands get recognized, especially in the American Idol mentality going around, where it's tough to make it unless some annoying British guy says you're good.

 

[blockaderunner]

^^^Exactly. The usual outlets of music exposure (radio, MTV, etc.) are dead. The Major labels have purged their companies of all the A&R and talent scouts from their payroll, so no one is out at the clubs looking for new music. This seems the best way.

 

[docrice]

In the future, everyone loves Melor Famagal. I'm sure of it.

 

[ChaosAngel]

Man i would love to see an ensign listenin to heavy metal on some sort of earphones while on duty and then getting chewd out for it

 

[byron lomax]

I guess part of Roddenberry's ideal future (and that of other Trek writers) would be the appreciation of "higher" forms of art by everyone, while the "lower" forms of music and culture in general would be forgotten, a quirk of earlier, "less advanced" humanity that was no longer necessary. Nonsense, of course, and not terribly ideal!

 

[JustKate]

I have always figured that TPTB focussed on jazz and classical music simply because they were fearful that anything else would make the Trek characters seem dated and under-evolved. They simply didn't have the confidence - in their own tastes (because surely there are people in a Trek decision-making capacity who like something else besides jazz and classical) or in the tastes of regular human beings - to portray characters who like something else. There are a few exceptions - Tom Paris liked old rock-n-roll, for example - but jeeeeeeez, not very many.

It kind of reminds me of the attitude of a lot of people my age. We all grew up listening to rock-n-roll, and some of us still do, but if you ask a lot of people in their 40s and 50s and 60s what kind of music they listen to now, they'll instantly say, "I'm more into jazz these days." And maybe some of them really are, but I suspect that for at least some, "I'm more into jazz these days" is their way of trying to seem more grown-up in their musical tastes than they really are.

Me, I don't like jazz that much, particularly modern jazz. Call me a philistine if you want, but I really don't. I like music that has a melody that I can sing/hum along to. If preferring rock, blues and soul makes me a musical philistine, so be it.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure that in the future, somebody will still like Aretha Franklin and Etta James and BB King and the Allman Brothers, under-evolved though that might be.

 

[The Badger]

^ I just had a mental image of Deanna Troi singing along to Aretha Franklin's 'Respect', bouncing round her quarters and belting it out into a hairbrush, Riker coming in and grinning...

Something like that could have added to the character.

 

[Anwar]

The reason they use Jazz and classical so much is because they figured other stuff would get dated too quickly, it was semi-unsuccessful and just made everyone think they were snobs. It had nothing to do with "evolved sensibilities".

 

[datagal]

It would have been cool watching Data strap on a Les Paul and riffing to Led Zeppelin.

Wicked.

 

[Guardian Bob]

There was Steppenwolf in First Contact, but that wasn't distant-distant future.