Seeing that culture has been a popular topic of conversation lately, I thought I would incorporate my knowledge in music to connect the two together. As we proved today, the topic of culture could be taken apart into many specific areas. My analysis is only addressing one of these areas, which is this connection between music and the contrasting generations of society. Although there are noticeable differences between these generations(whether it be fashion, manners, or use of technology), music’s undeniable test of time can bring out eerily similar connections between people of completely different generations. The key lies within the emotion behind the music.
Dating back to the days of Mozart and Beethoven, music has always been the same. The use of flowing sequences of what we now call chords can give, and always have given a song a unique emotion. The feelings given from a song hit a listener on much more than a superficial level. These musical emotions can be paired with similar emotions inside all of us, which is why certain songs speak to us more than others. The only thing that has changed over time is the rhythmic “disguise” given to a song to deliver this emotion in a socially acceptable manner.
After intensely working with music for the majority of my life, I found myself discovering more and more of these unique musical connections. From meeting people seeing their reaction to different music over time, I have been able to understand them on an entirely different level. There are people in the world who connect to songs that bring out the hatred and heartache for something in the past, whether that is expressed through the chords and lyrics of a 60’s Hendrix piece or an Infected Mushroom techno production. The point here is that these people are connected by the emotions underlying the two very different song styles. On the other side of the spectrum, the upbeat feeling of a Beethoven masterpiece can reach someone on the same level as a cheery pop song. People can be seen very differently from their initial “judgmented” appearance in this regard. For instance, I met a bouncer at a local show we were opening for. As I stood next to this large man, covered in tattoos and wearing all black, he was bouncing his head and grinning to a petite Marie Digby playing light hearted acoustic pop. He turned to me and said, “I really love her, she does such a great job”. After some continued conversation, the guy was really nice and truly had all the best intentions in the world.
All I would say after my observations is this: If you find yourself going to a concert to see a favorite artist, take in the entire experience. Meet some of the people around you, enjoy the energetic setting of a live production of music and lights. You may be surprised as to connections you could make between completely random people. From what I’ve observed thus far, the connections of music in our society are undeniable.
Cheers,
Mike Greenwood
****If you click on "complete profile" you can hear one of the new songs my band has coming out by clicking on the Audio link.
1 comment:
I am glad you chose to discuss a complicated term like "culture" with something close to you, on which you can write authoritatively. I assume the photo you include is your band? Since you ask the reader to enjoy the surrounding elements of a musical performance, like the people and the overall atmosphere of the venue, it would have been great for you to situate the reader in the text or photo you include here: where was this taken? What song were you playing? Who was there?
Also, because you know so much about music, it would have been great for you to be more specific about the relationship between Hendrix chords and 1960s and 70s political angst, for example. How do these specific chords relate to the "culture" in which Hendrix was playing?
Finally, I like that you include one of your own songs for us to listen to; as with the photo at the beginning, I would have appreciated a "reading" of this song as well. How does it speak to the various cultures in which you play music? To what does the name of your band refer? Who is singing? What instrument do you play and why? I am also interested in the site on which this song resides--what is the intended audience? How is it different from other sites that could showcase your music?
Ultimately, your ideas are provoking--now take the reader further by addressing some of these questions, for example, that I ask above.
By the way, I really enjoyed the song!
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