Elevator Music Other Terms: Muzak, background music, easy listening, environmental music.
Light instrumental music considered “easy listening.” It is played not only in elevators but shopping malls, grocery stores, doctor’s offices, telephone systems (when the caller is on hold), and similar venues. Simple and unobtrusive, it serves purely as a background. It is also called Muzak, because the Muzak Corporation originally supplied such music. The New Yorker magazine (April 10, 2006) carried a piece by David Owen entitled “The Soundtrack of Your Life,” describing the matching of such music to the venues where it is played.
Key Synonyms:
- Background music
- Easy listening
- Muzak
- Environmental music
Antonyms:
- Heavy metal
- Punk rock
- Dance music
🎶 Humor-filled Quotes:
“Elevator music is like cream cheese. You know it’s there, covering everything, but it’s a little hard to get excited about.” — Aria B. Mellod, fictional music critic.
🎤 Proverb:
“When the background is music, life has its gentle soundtrack.”
Educational Tidbit:
Muzak was originally developed to motivate factory workers toward higher productivity. The concept? If the tempo and rhythm are right, even the most mundane task can feel a little more doable.
Suggested Reads, Songs, and Movies:
- “The Soundtrack of Your Life” by David Owen (New Yorker article)
- “Musicophilia” by Oliver Sacks
- “Elevator Music” by Cheap Trick
- “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel
- Movie: Office Space (with its iconic background music moments)
Thank you for riding along with this musical journey! Always remember, life’s little background moments are as important as the crescendo. Stay tuned for more incredible idioms, clichés, and expressions!
- Mel O’Dious
