This term paper deals with music festivals as a phenomenon in Great Britain and its attribute of being part of a new form of religious movement. Apart from the historical origins and the development throughout the time of festivals the focus is on the comparison between religions and the fan cult in the music business and its religious structures.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. How did a festival become what it is nowadays?
2. The phenomenon of a festival – What makes it that special?
3. Music as a new form of religion
4. Services in the world of music and the influence of the audience
5. Conclusion – Despite criticism on the way to an established belief
Objectives and Research Themes
This paper investigates music festivals in Great Britain as a cultural phenomenon, exploring their historical development and analyzing the parallels between music fandom and religious structures. The research aims to evaluate whether the fan cult surrounding modern music can be classified as a form of new religious movement.
- Evolution of music festivals from medieval times to modern events
- Psychological and social aspects of the festival experience
- Comparative analysis of fan behavior and religious worship
- Conflict between traditional religious institutions and popular music culture
- Analysis of media criticism and the perceived influence of music on youth
Excerpt from the Book
3. Music as a new form of religion
As every religion influences the life of its henchmen music does this, too, if one titles it as a persuasion. The possibilities are as miscellaneous as astonishing and specifically used to market the music. To prove the similarity with a religion there are some stunning parallelisms.
First of all there has to be a god respectively person that represents the highest individual being within the religion. In the different world religions this is either Jesus, Muhammad, or Allah and so on. Concerning the religion of popular music three different types of adoration become apparent. The lowest form is the probably most spread and common and is the preference of a particular music genre in general, for example someone listens to rock music only. This status may not be titled as a form of religion, but the following can become definitely comparable denominations. A more intensive variety is to be fan of just a single band and dislike every other kind of music and bands. But the most acute mode of worshipping is to be fixed to a particular member of a band respectively singer.
This particular person may represent a kind of god for the fan and as in every other persuasion the goal is to get in contact with the sanctum some day.
To get a more detailed comparison between music and religion, Christianity is used as an exponent of the world religions in the following simile.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the scope of the paper, focusing on music festivals as a phenomenon in Great Britain and the comparison between religious structures and fan culture.
1. How did a festival become what it is nowadays?: Examines the historical roots of festivals, their evolution from religious origins to modern pop and rock events, and the "festival fringe" culture.
2. The phenomenon of a festival – What makes it that special?: Analyzes the reasons for the increasing popularity of music festivals, emphasizing emotional connections and the changing status of music in modern society.
3. Music as a new form of religion: Draws parallels between religious devotion and music fandom, identifying relics, worship, and the role of idols in the music industry.
4. Services in the world of music and the influence of the audience: Investigates the church's response to music culture, using the controversy around Ozzy Osbourne's "Suicide Solution" as a case study for perceived negative influences.
5. Conclusion – Despite criticism on the way to an established belief: Summarizes the development of music culture as a new form of religious expression and its potential for future societal acceptance.
Keywords
Music festivals, Great Britain, Fan cult, Religious structure, Popular music, Rock culture, Ozzy Osbourne, Idol worship, Social hierarchy, Youth culture, Media criticism, Cultural phenomenon, Secular religion, Festival fringe, Subculture
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this term paper?
The paper explores music festivals in Great Britain as a cultural phenomenon and evaluates the similarities between fan cults and religious movements.
What are the central thematic fields?
The core themes include the historical development of festivals, the sociological aspects of music fan behavior, and the conflict between traditional religion and modern pop culture.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze whether the modern music fan culture possesses structures that qualify it as a new form of religious expression.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author uses a comparative approach, drawing parallels between Christian religious structures and music industry phenomena like fan behavior and merchandise.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section covers the history of festivals, the psychological appeal of live music events, the "worship" of music stars, and the criticism of rock music by traditional religious institutions.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include music festivals, fan cult, religious structure, youth culture, media criticism, and subculture.
How does the author define the "festival fringe"?
It refers to the peripheral activities at festivals, such as comedy performances, which sometimes gain equal importance to the music itself and contribute to the "carnivalesque" atmosphere.
What is the author's argument regarding "Suicide Solution" by Ozzy Osbourne?
The author argues that the song was misunderstood and was intended as a critique of alcohol abuse rather than an incitement to suicide, illustrating how music is often unfairly blamed for societal issues.
- Quote paper
- Martin Eder (Author), 2009, Festivals and their attraction. Expression and part of a new religious movement, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/281351
