Full Description
In the 1960s and 1970s, becoming a rock musician was fundamentally different than playing other kinds of music. It was a learned rather than a taught skill. In On Becoming a Rock Musician, sociologist H. Stith Bennett observes what makes someone a rock musician and what persuades others to take him seriously in this role. The book explores how bands form; the backstage and onstage reality of playing in a band; how bands promote themselves and interact with audiences and music professionals like DJs; and the role of performance.
Contents
Foreword to the Legacy Edition, by Howard S. Becker Preface A Guide for the Reader Acknowledgments Part I. Group Dynamics 1. Introduction 2. Group Definition and Redefinition Part II. Rock Ecology 3. Instruments and "the Outside World" 4. Equipment and the Band Van 5. Gigs Part III. Mastering the Technological Component 6. Technology and The Music 7. The Realities of Practice Part IV. Performance: Aesthetics and the Technological Imperative 8. Playing 9. "Other People's Music" Afterword Appendix: Loudness and Equalization Notes Bibliography Index
