Muzak of Our Minds
Someone from the
Sound Scavengers mailing list pointed to this interesting
Straight Dope column about the origins of Muzak. Insteresting because the column was done 22 years ago, and our concept of "background music" has changed a lot since then. The kind of lulling instrumentals that were once the bane of elevators, supermarkets, and dentist offices is rarely heard nowadays.
I should know. During my teen years in the '80s, I worked at a restaurant. I was often put on "dining room" duty, which was cleaning tables and floors and making sure the garbage receptacles didn't get too full. It was during these long shifts that I became very acquainted with the restaurant's piped-in music. The owner, a crusty little Greek, insisted on using a Muzak-type service that played the most inoffensive, marshmallowy pop instrumentals. At first I hated it. Then weirdly enough I started noticing the odd arrangements, some left over from the groovy '70s, and the occasional awkward song ("With or Without You"??) that you'd never picture getting this treatment. Some of it was even pretty good! I started to appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into creating something designed to be noticed only subliminally.
That must have been the end of an era. Since then, I've rarely encounted that old-style stuff used in public spaces. The Muzak company is still thriving, but now you're more likely to hear Celine Dion warbling while waiting in the supermarket checkout line. What does it mean? That we like our background music less backgroundy now? I dunno.
Posted by mhinrichs at January 12, 2004 12:09 PM
