On Electronic Music
Music is as ancient a part of human culture as cooking, mating and running. According to Wikipedia,
“Music is found in every known culture, past and present, varying widely between times and places. Since all people of the world, including the most isolated tribal groups, have a form of music, it may be concluded that music is likely to have been present in the ancestral population prior to the dispersal of humans around the world. Consequently, music may have been in existence for at least 55,000 years and the first music may have been invented in Africa and then evolved to become a fundamental constituent of human life.”
I think it could be well argued that music isn't a distinctly human form of entertainment. Animals from birds to whales seem to sing as well.
Over the millennia we've managed to create music with a wide array of simple tools from sticks and animal hide to complex instruments like piano and violins. In general, the more complex the instrument, the more training is required to become skilled. Additionally, the more complex the instrument is, the more expensive. Music was created and produced by a small percentage of the population and the rest of us had to enjoy it as a spectator.
Like most other aspects of our lives, over the last few decade, software has dramatically decreased the cost of making music. Today, we can create studio quality electronic music on any computer using a variety of software packages that range from a few hundred dollars to free. The cost of learning this software is also close to free through YouTube and other sites. As we've seen the cost of making electronic music fall, we've also seen more electronic music created.
Electronic music festivals are popular all over the world, millennials from every dozens of countries can be found at music festivals. The spirit of international inclusion and promotion of diversity across phenotypical traits is relatively rare in music. I continue to find attending large festivals inspiring. Seeing hundreds of thousands of people partying together, enjoying music created using software by DJs young and old, mixing together thousands of songs (and crediting the original authors) is an awe inspiring experience.