Cafe Music as a Musical Genre

by Sandhya Mahesh

Picture a coffee shop in your head.

Maybe you can imagine walking in, seeing the daily specials on a chalkboard in front of the door and menus under the glass at the counter. As you sit at a tiny table, you breathe in the warm aroma of fancy coffee and fresh bread, mouth watering at the array of drinks and pastries. Ceiling fans will be turning slowly above, commuters will be walking in an out, and there’ll probably be a baby crying at some point; you’re supposed to be bothered by this, but somehow, you can find a calmness in the atmosphere.

Then, there’s the music; it’s not monotonous enough to make you feel sleepy, but it’s also relaxing enough that it doesn’t interrupt your thoughts and conversations. This music is known as coffeehouse music. Here’s some examples:

All three of these are so different, but that’s what makes the Coffeehouse genre interesting; so many styles, included jazz, electronic, soft rock, and bossa nova can fall under this genre, but they’re all characterized by an overall vibe.

Music has always been a big part of any public place. Come to think of it, almost every public gathering location plays music; malls, theaters, gyms. Usually, popular music or something from a major radio station comes on in these locations, because the absence of a melody playing in the background can make it boring for most people if they don’t have anything to do. So, music is usually done to keep customers interested at a location.

The same kind of music played at other locations is difficult to do at a coffeeshop. To preserve the calm ambiance, store owners have to find music with the perfect balance between dullness and edginess, allowing customers to hold a conversation but also be entertained by the sound of the music and the atmosphere.

Nowadays, cafes have also become a place for people to study or read. Because the atmosphere and music may increase customers’ productivity, it’ll increase sales, as the cafe will now be associated successful work getting done.

Coffeehouse music has now become a staple of the cafe experience. It’s not categorized as a genre because of similar lyrics, melodies, or instrument use, but by the vibe it creates. Whenever we hear this kind of music, we can almost smell the hot chocolate and fresh sandwiches that would be sold at the cafe.

Sources:

• Jeon, Seongun, et al. “Co-Creation of Background Music: A Key to Innovating Coffee Shop Management.” International Journal of Hospitality Management, Pergamon, 6 Aug. 2016, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278431916300913.
• Adrian C. North, Amber Shilcock. “The Effect of Musical Style on Restaurant Customers’ Spending – Adrian C. North, Amber Shilcock, David J. Hargreaves, 2003.” SAGE Journals, journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0013916503254749.
• “Coffee Shop Music Playlist: Music System for Café.” Dynamic Media Music, 18 Sept. 2020, dynamicmediamusic.com/coffee-shop-music/.