International music is defined as a catch-all term for global music, eg folk music, traditional music, etc. This music is often created and played by talented indigenous musicians and they generally share the same connection to their place of origin.
This term is attributed to Robert E. Brown, an ethnomusicologist. He managed to develop his bachelor’s degree by going through doctoral programs in this particular discipline. In order to enhance the learning process, he went so far as to invite more than a dozen artists from Asia and Africa to start a series of music concerts. This term became popular in the 1980s and was used as a marketing tool in the music and media industry.
However, there are several definitions that are in conflict with each other for international music. It is said that it consists of all the music that exists in the world. This term is also said to refer to the classification of music that combines Western musical styles along with other non-Western style genres. International music can also refer to all forms, from classical forms to modern forms.
This term can incorporate various types of musical styles, modes, scales, and inflections. Music exerts its own or cross-cultural influence on each other. This music is able to be marketed successfully today. The academic study of music is becoming common these days, giving birth to talented artists in various categories such as performance studies, ethnomusicology, anthropology, etc.
Today mainstream music has evolved and adopted many other features of music and manages to reach a larger audience. Hip hop, pop, jazz and heavy metal are all incorporating each other producing a remarkable piece of art. Regardless of how the term is used, music certainly plays an important role in delivering useful and meaningful messages.
