Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson
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Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson is a documentary series about how technology is used in music. Each episode focuses on a different subject. For example, the first season has episodes on Auto-Tune, sampling, reverb, synthesizers, drum machines, and distortion. Hosted by artist-producer Ronson, the series looks at how these innovations were used throughout pop history, as well as how they are used in contemporary music. Ronson brings in notable artists as well as studio engineers, inventors, and other experts to give viewers a comprehensive introduction to each topic. Profanity is sometimes used, including "f--k," "s--t," "damn."
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What's the Story?
WATCH THE SOUND WITH MARK RONSON looks at how different pieces of technology have influenced pop music throughout the years. Ronson digs into a different aspect of music in each episode, from Auto-Tune to reverb to synthesizers, bringing in musicians and experts to give a satisfying introduction to aspects of songwriting and producing that viewers might otherwise take for granted.
Is It Any Good?
A lot of music docs feature lesser-known musicians talking about popular songs; here, Mark Ronson is able to go straight to the sources. Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson stands out amongst its peers in part because of Ronson's access. For the episode on sampling, for example, Ronson brings in Hank Shocklee of the Bomb Squad and the living members of the Beastie Boys, artists who had their hands in the creation of two of the three albums in the hip-hop sampling Holy Grail (Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, and Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique). Thus, the series takes on a feeling of intimacy and urgency that is absent from most talking heads docs, and allows it to bring new insight to well-covered topics and travel to illuminating places that others would never be able to reach.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about technology in music. Did Watch the Sound change how you think about creating or listening to music? What elements of songcraft and production were new to you? Did anything surprise you?
What are some of the ways the featured artists experimented or innovated with technology? How did this change the sound of the music? What were some particularly successful choices? What made them successful?
TV Details
- Premiere date: July 30, 2021
- Cast: Mark Ronson
- Network: Apple TV+
- Genre: Educational
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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This Is Pop
Music docu only skims topic's surface, has profanity.
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1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything
Music and history doc recalls war, gun violence, drugs.
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Hip-Hop Evolution
Frank, fascinating history of a music genre, culture shift.
For kids who love to go behind the music
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