It is not by chance this problem exists in rock music. Fisher wrote extensively about these types of problems in his essay. Fisher noted that rock challenges the traditional thinking about an objective aesthetic value, and that its creation present problems for the question of authenticity in music.1 Fisher proposes that recorded music has its own separate ontology that must be taken into account, if we are to talk about authenticity issues in music. Recordings have specific sound events that are highlighted, re-mixed, and edited, to produce the very best of a particular music piece.2 As such, it is now the recording that is the most authentic expression of the music as opposed to the performance. This seems to turn the whole idea of authenticity
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On the question of a moral duty to play music authentically, the starting point of the essay is best embodied with a quote from the late critic of Jazz Ralph J. Gleason, who said, “[T]he blues is black man's music, and whites diminish it at best or steal it at worst. In any case they have no moral right to use it.”5 This quote from Gleason expresses the moral problems of authenticity in music. By performing the blues, it could be claimed that white people are stealing the cultural heritage of black people and monetizing it. In addition, when a white person performs the music, they are transferring a music style inherently owned by black people setting up an ownership issue. Rudinow's essay captures a great portion of the problematic ethical concerns inherent in musical authenticity, and realized through the lens of cultural appropriation. As a more recent example of this problem, there is no need to look further than the half-time show of Super Bowl 50. The performance, featuring Coldplay and Beyonce, was absent their most recent collaborative song “Hymn for the Weekend.” The song itself suggests no indication of it being culturally appropriated, however, the video for the song is set India during the celebration of the Holi
On the question of a moral duty to play music authentically, the starting point of the essay is best embodied with a quote from the late critic of Jazz Ralph J. Gleason, who said, “[T]he blues is black man's music, and whites diminish it at best or steal it at worst. In any case they have no moral right to use it.”5 This quote from Gleason expresses the moral problems of authenticity in music. By performing the blues, it could be claimed that white people are stealing the cultural heritage of black people and monetizing it. In addition, when a white person performs the music, they are transferring a music style inherently owned by black people setting up an ownership issue. Rudinow's essay captures a great portion of the problematic ethical concerns inherent in musical authenticity, and realized through the lens of cultural appropriation. As a more recent example of this problem, there is no need to look further than the half-time show of Super Bowl 50. The performance, featuring Coldplay and Beyonce, was absent their most recent collaborative song “Hymn for the Weekend.” The song itself suggests no indication of it being culturally appropriated, however, the video for the song is set India during the celebration of the Holi