Today, pop music is receiving both praise and rejection from two entirely different groups.  Teenagers and young adults have an interest in today’s pop music while older people consider the music as just noise. Pop music is being criticized for the synthesized sounds (sounds produced by computer music-programs).

I see music as any sound, because it really depends on a person’s definition music. What I consider to be noise or sound can be someone’s perfect music.

Sometimes, though, music goes too far for me. I can’t comprehend the music. Music is supposed to have meaning to it, otherwise I wouldn’t consider it music or noise.

Senior Tamara Zishuk said, “I don’t like pop music because it is synthesized music.” Tamara Zishuk listens to music from the ’80s to a little of today’s music.

The synthetic sound in pop music sometimes sounds very awkward to me, almost like a fax machine. What is that sound supposed to evoke? It has no meaning in my opinion. I would have to partially agree with the older generation with pop music being noise and not true music.

Senior Andrew Cortes said, “I don’t think there is anything wrong,” because someone’s definition of music can be different than another definition of music. He prefers “instrumental music,” but supports today’s style of music.

However, if the older generation does not consider the popular music as real music, do the younger people consider the music of the ’50s to be true music?

Currently, the older generations argue that today’s pop music is noise because there is rarely actual instrumentation, and all that is being used are synthesized sounds. I do agree with the fact that music is becoming more synthesized, but  is what determines music as music from my view. New songs such as “Wake Me Up” are becoming more popular over time.

Junior Samantha Curry said, “I like instrumental music.” She thinks that today’s pop music is acceptable music in society.

Another problem that some people have with today’s music is that the songs are repetitive and lack originality. Some songs are remixes of songs from the ’80s or before that time. I think music should be new, and creative. Even then, remixing a song shows creativity by adding a new style or interpretation to the song.

As for the repetition of the songs, just listening to that one song on the radio over and over again can get annoying. Sometimes the pop music seems to be like fuzzy sounds going into your ear, occasionally causing a headache. One hears the same sounds and knows what is coming up in the song.

I also define music is as sound that stimulates you for some occasion. An example would be when a football player is getting ready for a game. The music he plays gets him pumped for the game. The music serves a purpose and has a meaning.

Senior Chetana Guduru said, “Pop music is just a different genre. I just choose what is interesting, not a particular style.”

Why do people even complain about pop music if they can choose what music to listen? I can easily say that the music of the ’50s is not music because of its repetitive swing-style.

This may just be the evolution of music. Some of the stages of music that have passed over time are the result of songs that feature new motifs, or instrumentation, or even a combination of both. The songs stand out compared to the music of the time, and then a new music style emerges.

So, I see pop music as music.