Chant This!

Music in Western Civilization started under the control and patronage of the Roman Catholic Church.  

First was Gregorian chant.

Martin Luther

Chant is a form of worship.  

It was part of the mass and the offices. It was sung in Latin. The monasteries had one copy written down and it was large so everyone could crowd around and sing together

Chant developed over time to composed plainchant to polyphony. Polyphony is a harmonic layering of chant.

Secular songs were used for Masses, such as Du Fay's L’Homme Arme, which had a melody based of a drinking song from a tavern next to DuFay's house.

In 1517 we had the reformation, which lead to polyphony, not just Latin, but in the people's own languages. This enabled commoners to be able to learn the doctrine without having to know Latin.

The 17th Century began the shift away from dependence on religion for music.

Composers started to develop their own styles. Instruments were being invented.  Pieces were written for only instruments, no vocal.  Opera was born in Florence out of an attempt to revive the music of Classical Greece.

Arcangelo Corelli (17 February 1653 – 8 January 1713) was the first composer to make a career off selling printed music, free of church control and restriction.

Today we have a whole industry free of religious restrictions. Until recently this industry was heavily controlled by record companies but due to technological advances in media sharing and openness a shift is starting to occur where people can become famous free of the grip of the record companies.

The phenomena is mostly due to youtube. Everyone knows who Rebecca Black is and her infamous song "Friday." Also, Soulja Boy is a successful (but not very good, in my opinion) rapper who become famous of a song he released on the internet.

Music has changed in Western Civilization, for good and for bad.  

Take from it what you want because there is a whole lot of it out there. Some may say it is bad that music is not controlled by religion anymore but I am grateful, even though I appreciate Gregorian Chant for what it is, that we don't just have chant to listen to now.