The evolution of music has brought forth hundreds of music variations in so many forms to the basic music categories. This diversity in music forms have categorized in alternative music those ish style music that come as slight style alterations to most popular music forms (i.e. alternative rock or rock-ish music for rock music that does not really fit into the mainstream genres of a particular time period).

Alternative music is a category coined as a sort of catch-all for those sub-genres that are unclassified but can be traced with similarities to popular genres. These alternative music are usually those that were not released commercially and are recorded on independent labels. Some music from this category, from word of mouth, would soon find its way into the mainstream and become commercially successful.

Off-Country

Country music that does not conform to the prevailing country style is generally classified as alternative music. Musicians playing alternative country music are generally those who do not subscribe to high production values and popularity concerns. Their music are of lo-fi sound quality and often incorporated strong punk and rock and roll qualities and contained lyrics that are bleak, gothic or socially aware. The range of their music spans American folk tune to rockabilly and honky-tonk to a fusion of rock and country music. Alternative country music has developed several namesakes like Americana, neotraditional, progressive country, lo-fi country, and twang core.

Not-so-hip Hip-Hop

The alternative version of hip hop has not been very popular. Artists claiming to play alternative rap or alternative hip hop are non-conformists who wish to turn from the common drug and violence-directed mainstream rap. Alternative hip-hop fuses influences from funk, rock, jazz, soul and reggae. Some of these alternative hip-hop groups have somehow found themselves in mainstream success like Black Star, Mos Def, De La Soul, M.I.A., Kidz in the Hall, Consequence, Jurassic 5 and Brand Nubian.

Electric Rock

Alternative music is most often used to refer to alternative rock. It used to be that the word alternative was used in the 1980s to refer to punk rock-inspired bands that do not belong to major record labels and have no clear genre association. There are a lot of influences in alternative rock namely, grunge, Britpop, gothic rock and indie pop. Most of these alternative rock artists were considered cult acts and recorded their albums on independent labels. Their popularity was largely due to the exposure their alternative music got in college radios and word-of-month. The band Nirvana entry in the alternative music scene has propelled the popularity of several other bands playing alternative rock music. Metallica is another group who made it big in the mainstream music world playing alternative rock.

Perhaps an offshoot of alternative rock is alternative dance music. This kind of music combined elements of dance-pop which includes forms of electronic house or techno, and alternative rock genres. Alternative dance music can be characterized as mostly electronic, pre-programmed beats and sequenced synthesizer melodies.

As there will always be popular music, there will always be a spot for alternative music. After all, there will always be music that falls somewhere in-between, music that is somewhat like but not entirely the same as what is predominantly popular at a certain period in time.

The idea of music therapy actually has its roots in ancient times, but it really only started to get serious attention after World War I and World War II. During these times, community musicians visited Veterans hospitals, and they played music for veterans who were suffering physical and emotional trauma brought on by the wars. The patients at these hospitals showed significant improvements after the music performances. Consequently, the doctors and nurses requested that musicians be hired to come to the hospitals.

In due course, it was decided that musicians assisting in hospitals needed specialized training.  In 1944, Michigan State University began offering a music therapy degree program, the first of its kind in the world.  The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) was founded later, in 1988.

The positive effects of music therapy have been so well recognized that many insurance companies cover it as a form of medical treatment. Both Medicare and Medicaid cover it, also, provided that it is prescribed by a physician and the patient shows improvement from the music therapy.

Many people erroneously believe that clients of music therapy need to have musical abilities in order to benefit from music therapy. This belief is not true. Also, some believe that only one type of music can be beneficial for use in music therapy. This belief is also untrue.  In actual fact, any type of music can be helpful in helping a client. The type of music used depends on the client’s preferences, as well as on the individual circumstances and the purpose of treatment.  Also, the client’s overall goals from the therapy help determine the type of music to be used in the music therapy.

People who are already emotionally and physically healthy are now using music therapy to help reduce stress. Drumming, alone or with others, and listening to music mindfully can help make possible relaxation.  In addition, music can be used to help stimulate physical exercise, as many people are capable of working out longer and harder when the workout routine is accompanied by music.

In spite of it’s long history, and roots in the suffering of wartime, music therapy today is an established form of treatment for helping people of all ages and genders.

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Whilst techno is without doubt most popular in Europe today, techno music in fact originated from a Detroit Michigan during the 1980’s. Although Detroit is far more famous for exporting cars rather than music, the vast array of techno music genres we listen to today are variants on the original style of “Detroit Techno.” (Ironically Eminem, one of the 2000’s biggest names in rap music who openly hates techno music also comes from the same city)
The pioneers of techno music are without question the Belleville 3, given that label by adoring fans because they all attended Belleville High School, who’s first 3 albums popularised the fledgling genre of music.

However the main reason for the growth in techno music during this period was the fact that synthesizers and sequencers required to produce techno music became increasingly affordable. As a result, experimentation with techno music became increasingly popular within Detroit, in particular by those not wishing to follow the mainstream music of the time.
It wasn’t long before the techno music genre started to make inroads into Europe, with Germany and England becoming early adopters of this new style. When the Berlin wall fell in 1989, techno music exploded in German bars, nightclubs and underground venues, the most famous of which was UFO, hosted by DJ Westbaume and DJ Maute. This underground venue would be the first steps to founding the most epic festival of techno music being The Love Parade.

With the growth in techno music in bars and nightclubs, various genres started to make a name for themselves and create their own following. He various genres of Trance music (hard trance, progressive trance, acid trance, uplifting trance) all have their origins in Detroit techno. Mainstream music also became heavily influence by techno, in particular with “techno remixes” of pop, hip hop, RnB and rap music.

Today techno music is without question the most popular genre of electronic music, so much so that it is often mistaken by newbie’s as the name for electronic music itself with DJs and groups such as the Aphex Twins, Basshunter, Daft Punk and DJ Rush pushing techno music into the mainstream.

Way back at the beginning of this decade we’ve come to know as the ‘noughties’, it was The Libertines that first kick-started the new revolution of bands loudly and proudly proclaiming their London roots; name-checking both Caledonian Road in Islington and Vallance Road in Bethnal Green on their debut album, ‘Up The Bracket’. Later, rapper Dizzee Rascal also paid homage to his hometown through his rhymes – “I socialise in Hackney and Bow / I wear my trousers ridiculously low”.

Likewise, during the 1960s and 1970s bands such as The Kinks, The Clash and The Jam penned numerous odes to their hometown, most notably The Clash’s anti-Racism anthem “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais”.

So it’s not that this was a new trend; it was just that London bands proclaiming their hometown pride had become scarce in music for over a decade. Previously, for example, in the late 1990s, Manchester had stolen most of the nation’s musical limelight, with the emergence of the massively popular ‘Madchester’ scene, as well as the rise of bands such as The Smiths and The Fall during the 1980s.

Today, London again seems to be experiencing something of a renaissance. A handful of recently founded independent record labels have helped breathe some new air into the somewhat smoggy London scene. Founded in 2004, Transgressive Records released early singles by recent Mercury Music Prize nominees ‘The Young Knives’. Its reputation for being synonymous with new cutting-edge British indie music soon saw it snapped up by Warner Brothers as a subsidiary. Likewise, the Angular Recording Corporation was founded in 2003 and gave the likes of Bloc Party their first exposure.

Meanwhile, London girls Lily Allen and Kate Nash were looking to the internet as their means of gaining mass exposure. Both soon took the mainstream by storm with their informal, colloquial vocal style (sample lyric: “You look well nice”) and both saw their debut albums hit the top of the charts.

London’s live scene is a deep ocean of talent, largely made up of acts massively popular in the capital, but yet to really make a mark elsewhere: acts such as Emmy The Great, who sits at the forefront of the London anti-folk scene, was the latest to perform a Black Cab Session, a gig that takes place inside a genuine, moving London black cab and then gets posted on YouTube.

And how about Wallis Bird, whose powerful voice and noisy guitar is sure to have her hailed as “the new KT Tunstall” in nationwide publications before very long; or George Pringle and her unique brand of spoken word electro. All of these musicians and more have healthy representation on the London circuit, and fans from outside the capital can get in on the act too – there are a selection of hotels in London available to suit all accommodation needs (just make sure your room hasn’t been trashed by an over excited rock star!).

In terms of the future of British music, London certainly seems to be a hotbed of talent to keep an eye (and ear) on.