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The "Power" of MusicNEW YORK - Experiments at the University of California- Irvine indicate that listening to music can increase one's IQ. If they prove correct, perhaps the plethora of songs about technology will make us a more technically literate society. In a 1995 "High-Tech Hits" challenge by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), music lovers were asked to identify songs that are either about technology or utilized technical terminology. Respondants identified hundreds of songs, which cover the spectrum of musical genres, including standards (Fly Me to the Moon by Tony Bennett), country (High Tech Redneck by George Jones), reggae (Pressure Drop by Toots and the Maytals), hard rock (Rocket Queen by Guns n' Roses), blues (The Midnight Special by Leadbelly), folk (Turn Me On, I'm a Radio by Joni Mitchell), rap (911 Is a Joke by Public Enemy), jazz (Isotope by Joe Henderson), alternative rock (Hoover Dam by Sugar), and even that wedding and party favorite, The Electric Slide by Marsha Griffith. What is it about technology that inspires a song? Tony Giancola, executive director of the National Association of County Engineers, has a unique perspective. His daughter, Lady Miss Kier, is lead singer of the techno- soul band Deee- Lite, creators of the technology- and environmentally- conscious song I Had a Dream I Was Falling Through a Hole in the Ozone Layer. What's the connection between technology and music? Giancola says that Deee- Lite uses computer technology to experiment and create new sounds and mixes. "Growing up in a technically literate family encouraged her to utilize, not fear technology, and to experiment with it," he said. There are countless songs about planes, trains, and automobiles (1000 Airplanes on the Roof by Philip Glass; Cool the Engines by Boston; Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight and the Pips, to name a few). Machines of all types have also been celebrated in song: Love Machine (Miracles), Dancin' Machine (Jackson 5), Sex Machine (James Brown), World Machine (Level 42), Tin Machine (Tin Machine), Time Machine (Grand Funk Railroad), Man Machines (Pete Townshend), and Welcome to the Machine (Pink Floyd). Science is often seen as weird or blind, and has, of course, been the topic of many songs, including Weird Science (Oingo Boingo), She Blinded Me with Science (Thomas Dolby), and Blinded by Science (Foreigner). Still, that hasn't discouraged some songwriters from recommending the profession, as She Wants to Be an Engineer (Peggy Seeger) and I Am a Scientist (Guided By Voices). Several other songs proved to be far more specific, naming scientists (Copernicus by Basia and Galileo by Amy Grant) or companies (Where Would I Be Without IBM? by Information Society and Xerox by Adam Ant). Technology songs aren't just confined to the earth. The moon (Man on the Moon by R.E.M.), space travel (2000 Light Years From Home by The Rolling Stones), satellites (Satellite by Echo and the Bunnymen), and even specific missions - Apollo 9 (Adam Ant) and Apollo 11 (OMD)- have been the focus of songs. Chemistry has also proved popular, with Chemistry Set (The Suburbs), Chemical Cosh (Fatima Mansions), Chemical World (Blur), Chemical Youth (Queensryche), Chemical (New Order), Chemistry (Information Society), Chemistry Class (Elvis Costello), Chemical Love (Stevie Wonder), and My Love Is Chemical (Lou Reed). Perhaps no group has produced as many songs about technology as the Canadian rock band, Rush, whose songs include Superconductor, Natural Science, Chemistry, Manhattan Project, The Analog Kid, Digital Man, Cygnus X- 1, The Body Electric, and Cold Fire. What about songs that never were? One respondent suggested that You Light Up My Life by Nikoli Tesla or Thomas Edison might be appropriate for the list. Whether real or wistful, such an emphasis on technology in song underscores the significance of technology in our everyday lives. But can it have other benefits? In a recent issue of Billboard magazine, Frances Rauscher, one of the professors involved in the UC- Irvine study, said, "Music should be prized and emphasized as an invaluable way to boost human brain power." And, if a song can also effectively communicate technology's role in society, that may ultimately make the music even more powerful. For the complete listing of AIChE's "High- Tech Hot Hits," contact the AIChE Communications Department at telephone 212- 705- 7660; fax 212- 752- 3294. ### [_private/boilerplate.html]
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National Engineers Week Foundation
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