music has mined the world (for example reggae, african, latin, irish, eastern and middle eastern sounds, even Hawaiian) and the parts of society where the white public didn't used to go (blues, jazz, rap, hip-hop and the various flavors of black dance music). Pop has explored new instruments and various flavors of techno sounds.

But now we seem to be tapped out the existing world of music and with synth technology, pretty much any sound you imagine, you can make. So it takes a whole lot more genius now to make a new sound that you haven't heard before. One could almost say that the music world has become boring in its diversity, that every styles has influenced every other to the point where there's a certain uniformity to music world wide. But that's overstating the case. I think the music world would have to lose something before you see real clear cut musical eras again. Or a genius could emerge.

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"Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch"
- Ivern Bell