The Impacts of Social Media and Its Influence on Jazz and Music
For artists and musicians pursuing careers in our field, social media has become an huge part of presenting ourselves to the public and wider audiences. While there are some benefits, I believe there are many downsides that are having a somewhat detrimental effect on music and music education. I feel fortunate to have mostly grown up without social media (I was born in 1994), which only really became popular in my mid-20s. Without wanting to sound miserable and bitter, I think it's important to discuss the negative effects of social media and how we can approach it with a healthy mindset. This can help us to protect our learning environment and our growth as musicians and artists.
Social media is tailored to a very specific algorithm and engagement model. It is generally said that the average viewer decides within three seconds whether to watch a reel further, and even after that, maintaining engagement doesn't last much longer. I find this the most problematic aspect. Attracting attention in three seconds prohibits many musical possibilities and limits the type of music and performance to a very narrow stylistic range. The visual aspect also becomes just as important as, if not more important than, the musical content itself. When we consider what grabs attention in an incredibly shallow and mundane way, the first things that come to mind are virtuosity, high energy, being straight to the point and being aesthetically pleasing. While these elements aren’t necessarily bad in themselves, if they are the only goal, the focus becomes about an incredibly small percentage of music resulting in a huge proportion of music becoming neglected. In terms of the visual aspect, this can determine whether the video is worth watching, regardless of the musical content. For example, the music might be subpar, but if the visuals are engaging, perhaps because the people are visually appealing* or have a niche, or if the video is well made, this can override the musical aspect. This may encourage us to listen with our eyes rather than our ears.
this obviously isn't to say that you can't be “visually appealing” (whatever that means, honestly who cares) and good at music, they're not mutually exclusive qualities, but the appreciation of music shouldn't be based solely on appearance if the musical content isn't there. I guess I’m mostly thinking about the mass of creepy old men who pour their hearts out at women online regardless of how they play. And again, to note where the blame is here (hint, not the women).
As I've mentioned before, I was very lucky that my introduction to music involved listening to and discovering albums, as well as frequently going to concerts, from around the age of fifteen. I don't come from a family that specifically listened to jazz, although they were into music. A lot of my discoveries came from a friend recommending an album to me and me taking it from there. Every Saturday, I would buy one or two CDs from Spillers Records in Cardiff, listen to them all week, and then buy another based on an artist who was featured on the previous week's album. One favourite moment was when I listened to the second Miles Quintet album and then wanted to buy a Tony Williams record (despite knowing nothing about him). I bought one of his 'Lifetime' albums and was shocked to find that it sounded nothing like the Miles album (I kind of hated it at the time). Going to concerts has played a huge part in my musical growth. I can’t put into words how much I’ve learnt from this experience. I believe that the way we experience music in a live context can't be captured in recordings to that degree. It also encourages listeners to be present and engage with what's happening in front of them. Even the concerts I went to that I didn’t enjoy, and had to force myself to sit through, were a huge learning experience. They helped me learn pretty quickly, in my opinion, what works and what doesn’t.
For me, some of the most beautiful and intense musical experiences are those that take their time to unfold and have a strong narrative. It's impossible to portray this on social media; you can't experience it through Instagram or TikTok. Once again, I would like to reiterate that higher intensity and virtuosic moments have their equal place, but they shouldn't be without the other aspects and elements of music. In terms of musical specifics, I can guarantee that an emotional, slow-paced, perhaps sparse and dark musical moment that takes time to unfold would perform terribly on the algorithm. So, if people are discovering music and artists through social media, what does that mean for these types of moments? I think this is particularly relevant for young jazz musicians who are just discovering the music, as most of the content is of this calibre. I worry that they will learn that this is the only worthy aspect of music in order to be successful. In other words, seeing that specific musicians who present music in a one-dimensional way have more followers and engagement becomes the musical goal. It can also discourage them from discovering music by listening to albums and going to concerts.
Another negative aspect is that social media allows you to fully control how you present yourself more effectively. I've noticed a lot of accounts of people posting transcriptions but very few of them actually showing clips of them playing. I strictly don't have a problem with posting transcription videos (I’ve done it and do it myself), as I think it's a nice way to share part of your practice process and invite people into your world. But it's important to remember that this is only a small part of the creative process. Transcription videos also allow for more instantaneous validation, as they are quite tangible, measurable and, if done well, will sound great. However, this demonstrates the ability to learn someone else’s solo and doesn't reveal anything personal about the musician's playing style and ability. I also think there's a temptation to do it with our modern-day heroes in order to get a response from them if they were to react to it (of course, it's flattering), which would provide instant validation. There's nothing hugely wrong with this, it's just good to keep in mind and to remind ourselves of the motives of why we transcribe; for validation or the process? The ability to transcribe well does not necessarily equate to the ability to improvise well, nor is it an accurate representation of one’s craft. It’s a snapshot of one’s ability. For example, I think someone who does it well is Melissa Aldana. She posts a lot of transcription videos because she transcribes a lot and is incredibly consistent with it. But it’s also nice how she posts them during the process, which really opens a window into her practice routine and how deep she goes into it. Aside from this, it goes without saying that the other aspects of her playing more than match her commitment to transcription.
One of my biggest pet peeves is videos with clickbait descriptions and captions that over-explain every element of the solo. Not everything needs to be explained in a caption for people to understand it. In my opinion, it just dumbs down the music and doesn't elevate it in any way. It also encourages a very shallow and superficial way of analysing music, and doesn't really encourage listeners to discover these things for themselves through other means and resources. It makes the music incredibly one-dimensional and negates the nuances that elevate something from good to great. For example, someone might post a caption such as 'Here is my idea, here is me developing it, and here is the band's reaction'. Not everything needs to be easily digestible, and there are other ways to make your music more educational through online platforms. I think it's nice to talk about your creative process when sharing your work, but this is one aspect I struggle to get on board with. It also doesn’t encourage deeper listening and exploration; everything is spoon-fed. In my opinion, this is contradictory to the nature of jazz as an art form, given that progression has come from exploration and a focus on the process.
Social media, in my opinion, may also promote a somewhat toxic playground. For instance, people who don't think someone is deserving of being followed back. Another thing that makes me cringe a lot and is somewhat shallow is when individuals follow someone and then unfollow them to get more followers. Additionally, some unfollow others in order to maintain a low amount of follows vs followers to appear more well-liked. I guess unfollowing someone you'll never talk to again from high school is acceptable, or simply not wanting to engage with someone, but doing so within your community just comes across as a little egotistical and even unkind. Another toxic element is how it encourages unhealthy comparisons. This is a route not even worth going down, and again it’s important to remind ourselves the social media is a heavily curated snap shot of someone’s life and not the full picture and reality of who they are as a person and/or musician. Alongside this, I’ve heard of some bookers/promoters not willing to invest in some musicians because they don’t have a certain following. Followers don’t necessarily equate to artistry and skill; you can be an incredible artist and musician yet have barely any followers because of the lack of investment in social media, and alternatively, have many followers simply for being ‘good’ at social media and understanding how to use it effectively and appeal to certain audiences.
Another negative element to address is how there is an influx of accounts that are aimed at young men and show themselves solely thru a masculine lens; I'll discuss the 'jazz bro' culture further in a future post. It’s possible that many men and boys wouldn’t notice this, but seeing constant posts from pages like ‘JazzMemes’ discussing exclusively male-related topics can become extremely tiring and isolating. Another recent post from a bass player (who I won’t name) with a significant following stated that you should not date other musicians, which sparked a slew of comments from boys agreeing and insinuating that women are insane and unworthy of dating in the music industry. Again, it's perfectly okay not to want to date a musician or someone from 'work', but I don't think 95% of the commenters or the person who created the original post recognised how this information was presented solely through the male gaze. Again, for a select group of (immature) men, this may go unnoticed or unquestioned, but it reeks of misogyny and exclusivity to me. I’ve noticed a common trend where a particular saxophonist posts practice tips, patterns, and other relevant content. However, they deliberately include their girlfriend in the video with a clickbait caption. This approach is quite lame and specifically aimed at a male audience. If these are the people the younger generation looks up to and seeks guidance from, it’s concerning that they are being influenced in this way.
I also think that social media encourages younger musicians to rush the process and places an extreme emphasis on having a finished product. This isn’t sustainable in the long run as an artist. If I were to motivate myself to practice solely on the outcome and eventual goal, I would rarely step foot in the practice room. Yes, goals are important and can help motivation, direction and commitment, but if anything, that I’ve learnt as I’ve gotten older and further into my career, motivation, discipline, and consistency thrive on investment in the process. Most of the time when I practice something, it doesn’t feel settled in my playing until months and sometimes years later, depending on what it is I’m working on. The amount of musicians who still are somewhat at the beginning of their journey yet have a fully polished Instagram profile feels somewhat unsettling to me. I’m not saying there’s a specific time as to when you can invest in this side of things, but I guess it’s knowing where the priorities lie.
Like anything, there are positives (albeit very few) alongside the negatives, and I think it is worth mentioning them here. One thing that’s been nice for me is to be able to connect with musicians with whom I have met internationally and to stay in contact to a certain degree. However, you could argue that this is still possible without social media. There’s also some genuinely good educational material on Instagram and people who do it really well; however, you could argue that it’s more beneficial to discover these things through studying with someone, talking to people, going to concerts or figuring it out yourself, as the learning journey is incredibly personal and not one size fits all. Also, when used effectively, social media can be a good way to promote your material and to reach audiences with things like album releases and concert announcements.
I’ve realised that social media isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so how can musicians and artists maintain a healthy relationship with it? Here are a few thoughts:
I generally try to only post things I’m actually doing, rather than curating material specifically for social media. So, if I happen to have clips from a recent gig or can quickly record something I’m working on while practising, I keep it as low effort as possible.
I try to look beyond someone’s opinion, especially if they have a large following. I want to understand their credentials, experience, and real-life career that make their opinion the definitive truth, rather than simply because they have a platform and use social media well.
Without trying to sound condescending, but if you’re younger and at the early stages of your musical journey, take your time! There’s no rush to get stuff out there, it’ll feel right when you’re ready.
I don’t compare myself to someone who is ‘successful’ on social media, whether it’s on a musical or personal level. Most of the time, it’s simply because they’re good at social media in itself. We all know the genuine musicians with a following from ‘real life’ versus those who solely have an online career. If you’re not sure, I’d advise looking into that particular person.
I remind myself that everything we see is heavily curated, and we’re only ever getting a snapshot of people’s lives.
Not everything you do needs to be presentable for social media, and not everything should be posted on social media.
I limit my usage on the platform by using an app blocker. Generally, I post something and then leave it be. I also don’t let the number of likes I receive validate whether my post is worthy. Often, it can simply be because I posted at the wrong time or didn’t have a great visual appeal.
To summarise, I believe the most important thing is to live my life in the real world and place value on the things and people that exist there. This includes our relationships, conversations with people, attending concerts, listening to albums, reading about music, and exploring our craft. By remaining curious and invested in real life, we can continue to develop and grow in a healthy way.
