From The Death Of Music Department:

Technology Killed the Radio Star
(Thanks to Drudge for the heads up.)

Internet downloading and MP3 players are creating a generation of people who do not seriously appreciate songs or musical performances, British researchers said.

Silly me. I thought is was the breakup of The Clash.

"The accessibility of music has meant that it is taken for granted and does not require a deep emotional commitment once associated with music appreciation," said music psychologist Adrian North on Tuesday.

I once read that the world-historical mass murderer Lenin couldn't listen to music without breaking down and crying like a little girl.

North led a team from the University of Leicester, central England, that monitored 346 people over two weeks to evaluate how they related to music.

Yes, but how does the music relate to them?

They concluded that because of greater accessibility through mass media, music was nowadays seen more as a commodity that is produced, distributed and consumed like any other.

Like pork bellies.

It could also account for the popularity of television talent competitions, particularly in Britain, which allow viewers from the "iPod generation" a rare chance to engage and appreciate music and live performances, they suggested.

So Apple is responsible for American Idol?

"In the 19th century, music was seen as a highly valued treasure with fundamental and near-mystical powers of human communication," said North.

Of course, people were stupider back then.

"The pace of technological change has accelerated further over the last 20 years or so and these fundamental changes in the nature of musical experience and value have arguably become even more pronounced.

"Because so much music of different styles and genres is now so widely available via portable MP3 players and the internet, it is arguable that people now actively use music in everyday listening contexts to a much greater extent than ever before.

Yes. I imagine only a Vanderbilt or a Carnegie could afford to have the New York Philharmonic play while they washed their cars. Oops, I meant horse. Or velocipede.

"The degree of accessibility and choice has arguably led to a rather passive attitude towards music heard in everyday life.

If you've heard "The Girl From Ipanema" in one hotel elevator...

"In short, our relationship to music in everyday life may well be complex and sophisticated, but it is not necessarily characterised by deep emotional investment."

The academic's assessment follows a warning last week from rock legend Pete Townshend, The Who guitarist, that listening to rock music on an MP3 player through headphones could cause deafness.

Huh? I thought I was prone to non sequiturs. Anyway, that reminds me of the worst rock song ever: "905" by The Who on the album Who Are You? "Sister Disco" stunk out loud too.