The Sound of a City: A Study of the Phenomenon

Maciej Smólka holds a PhD in culture and religion studies (Jagiellonian University, 2021) and is a scholar specializing in popular music, popular culture and American studies. His studies concern music localities and identities, the music industry, and the specificities of contemporary popular culture.

The sound of a city is a cultural phenomenon based on the characteristic relationship between music and the cultural specificity of a given urban area. It occurs when artists from a region create music, which is so unique, it becomes indisputably linked with its place of origin in the public discourse. The link becomes so strong, the phenomenon's name derives from the name of the city. There were numerous examples of such sounds in popular music history, including the Nashville Sound with its specific country music, the psychedelic rock of the San Francisco Sound, Prince's the Minneapolis Sound, or the Seattle Sound is also known as grunge. This publication explains the terms in which we should research, analyze, interpret, and define the sound of a city.

Autorentext

Maciej Smó ka holds a PhD in culture and religion studies from Jagiellonian University and is a scholar specializing in popular music, popular culture and American studies. His studies concern music localities and identities, the music industry, and the specificities of contemporary popular culture.

Inhalt

1. Introduction to the Sound of a City. -2. Music and the Place. -3. Methodology. -4. The Concept of the Sound of a City. -5. The Characteristics of the Sound of a City