The following text discusses music history.
The phonograph's invention in 1877 fundamentally changed how humans experience music. For the first time, people could hear a performance without performers being present. Listeners could hear artists they would never see live, and musicians could achieve fame across continents. Recorded music also enabled repeated, close listening that influenced how people understood and appreciated music. However, some have argued that recordings replaced the unique experience of live performance with standardized, unchanging reproductions.
According to the text, how did recordings change music experience?
They made live performances more popular
They enabled new ways to access and study music while raising concerns about lost spontaneity
They had no significant effect on how people experienced music
They were rejected by musicians
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the correct answer. The text describes new access (hear artists without seeing them, repeated close listening) AND concerns (standardized, unchanging reproductions vs. live).
- Evidence: New capabilities plus criticism about standardization.
- Reasoning: Both benefits and losses are identified.
- Conclusion: Expanded access with trade-offs.
Choice A is incorrect because recorded music reduced need for live attendance. Choice C is incorrect because it "fundamentally changed" music experience. Choice D is incorrect because musicians achieved "fame across continents" through recordings.