英文摘要 |
This article analyzes the formation and maintenance of the rock band wave in Taiwan since the late 1990s, which is characterized by the increasing number of teenagers involved in bands and by a normalized positive image. The identity of the underground rock music community started to crystalize in the early 1990s in the Daan District of Taipei. However, since the late 1990s, rock music has gradually been regarded as a legitimate cultural activity by the mainstream society in Taiwan, thanks to the institutionalization of the rock community. This transition does not result only from rock’s commercial success, the growing presence of famous musicians in the media, or their engagements in social movements. It also benefits from the musical community network that is woven by the hit music clubs of high school students and the supporting music instrument stores in the neighborhoods. Meanwhile, the low cost of musical equipment in Taiwan makes rock more accessible. The band wave seems to have risen at the convergence of all these factors. But more importantly, what makes it a success story lies in the fact that the moral values promoted by its practitioners do correspond to the ones of the mainstream society. |