Blog Post 12: Differences between the logic of the mainstream industry and alternative circuits such as those created by the Turkish diasporas in Germany or Independent networks in the US.

In class, we talked about the differences of the logic of mainstream industry and alternative circuits. We primarily focused on the Turkish Diasporas in Germany. One of the articles we looked at focused on the music production and consumption of second and third generation migrants from Turkey to Germany.  Listening to music from the homeland is part of the creation and recreation of cultural memory and identity over time and lifespan. Memory is indisputably one of the most important elements of our personal, internal existence, given that it becomes the core identity. Music serves as a connection to the past, evoking things to which people are emotionally attached to, frequently providing a private and comforting zone for the migrants. It also is a means to transmitting a group’s cultural memories to new generations and forming new memories in the process. The Turks in Germany produced music known as gurbetçi türküs. These songs were folk music with lyrics often time about immigration issues. These songs are very similar to blues songs in America because the blues genre were songs about the hardships African Americans faced with segregation. Similarly, the Turks did not have access to radios and ways to listen to other Turkish music, so they would just sit and sing with people. That is how they created their music. The African-Americans during the period of segregation in the US were the same way with exclusion from other forms of music. They were likely not allowed to be in certain venues because their skin was not white. African Americans were not technically immigrants because they had been in the US for generations but they still had a strong connection with their homeland because of the harshness and abuse they felt in the United States because they were not accepted. Music schools were also created. The schools were created to bring diversity in various places. In the United States, music schools were also created. Traditional music was learned in both. Bağlama is accepted as the traditional musical instrument of Turkey. I am not sure if there is a traditional instrument that is played predominantly for classical music in the US. But classical music is traditionally taught in music schools and most of the students specialize in a certain instrument. Instuments are chosen by the parents in both Turkish and American cultures. Turkish culture mainly because it’s the culture but in America it is whatever the parents can afford or are willing to allow their child to play.