History Of Music

Lizzy Mulderrig

Music – it is omnipresence is easy to overlook. New technology allows for this constant presence in our lives – whether its changing the mood at a party or contributing to the overall ambiance in a department store. Music was not always like this, however. This idea is described as “the impact of the machine,” (132). The evolution of technology has allowed for the growth of the music industry, and the way we listen to music, change immensely.

Let’s take it back to when Thomas Edison discovered you could record the human voice. This was a crucial moment in music history. It was in 1877 when he successfully recorded “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Because of the phonograph, people could reproduce and distribute the same sound. From this moment, live performances were not the only means of producing music. As author D. L. LeMahieu put in his journal, Technology and Culture, “No longer was the concert the sole means of communication between a musician and his public. The phonograph relieved the isolation of the home; the listener could choose when and where to listen to his favorite music,” (372). In 1896, Edison’s improved phonograph was up for sale and by 1900, it was a common household product (Thompsan, 138). Edison Incorporated soon

Even more progress was made for music producers and distributors when the “Diamond Disc” phonograph by Edison Incorporated hit the market. Several experiments were conducted to produce the disk with the perfect sized grooves and material for needles. This then led to more inventions from the record player, to the jukebox, to FM radio. Today, music is so readily available – from online distributors and radios, like iTunes and Spotify. It is amazing to think of the evolution music has made, all starting with a simple model of tin foil, a needle, and a spinning cylinder producing the song “Mary Had A Little Lamb.”