Music, The Introduction
Music. A simple word. Yet the ramifications of music throughout history imply that it is so much more than just… simple. It’s a force, a power that knows no bounds. And it’s available to everyone for mass consumption.
So where does music, a simple idea by nature, draw its extraordinary power from? I believe that this is a question that will never be answered fully. Of course one could argue that the easiest answer is that it pulls in its power from the people. It’s open to interpretation. Any one lyric, one melody, can have thousands (literally thousands) of different interpretations for each and every person who receives the message presented in the material. The artist and producers of the piece of artwork put it together with certain intentions, but the incredible thing is that not only will the message they are sending be received by the listeners, but other unintended repercussions will occur. People will interpret the work differently. They will hear things that not even the artist realized. And suddenly, the song, the lyrics, the melody, come to life. It takes its first metaphorical breath, and begins a journey of its own. It begins to grow. And then, if it’s lucky, it begins to impact culture. A select few songs have transcended genre. They are no longer rock, country, folk, or even rap or hip-hop. They are now standards; art classics.
This is just one argument for why music is so powerful. It is my argument. I tend to believe that music is an art that has transcended it’s other media brethren.
Television and Film come close. Literature comes closer. But the beautiful thing about music is that it encompasses these worlds. Music videos deliver messages just as film and television; lyrics present philosophies just as literature does. Music went from being part of barbaric rituals, to being high standard entertainment for the wealthy aristocrats, to being the art of the people.
The journey is storied, and it’s still taking place. And it will never stop.
Take a breath… Let’s talk.
The question now is why. Why write about music? I would like to be able to sit here and explain that I am trying to prepare you for some grand theory I have about the art; and that I am going to explain how it affects you daily; and that I wish to change the common perception of music in general to a more enlightened sense of the word. I would like to say that, honestly. But I cannot. I write about music for one rather plain reason. I like it.
Yes, writing about music comes almost effortless to me. When I talk about how it affects me and how I see the art, I feel at ease. Writing about it is almost as good as listening to it. Listening to it is almost as good as writing music itself. And writing music is almost as good as playing music. With my brain in a state of sanity, I state the following without any reservations or attempts at exaggerations, without music, I could not survive.
This short passage shall serve as the intro to several more essays to come. Some will talk of my theories on music. Others will speak of how specific artists have affected me as an individual. Many will contain grammatical errors, misspellings, incomplete sentences, and other mistakes… on purpose. Why? You will have to wait to find out. I plan to write about Rock and Roll, Country, Pop, Classical, Rap and Hip Hop, Soul, and also about the Business itself. Record making, producing, distributing. I will spotlight specific albums for selfish reasons and other albums for historical sake. I will forget to write about half of what I just mentioned… on purpose. Some essays will be ragged and unpolished, others will be pristine. Either way, I want everyone to know two particular things. It’s all on purpose, and, more importantly, I’m writing for me.
When I write, I usually tell the story of a show/concert with the hopes that others can envision what they missed out on or relive something they will never forget. But during this series, I will write for selfish reasons. I will ramble and I will get my thoughts out of my head in the form of the written word. And perhaps they may interest you as well.
Music, from me to me. You may be a part of it if you like.
So where does music, a simple idea by nature, draw its extraordinary power from? I believe that this is a question that will never be answered fully. Of course one could argue that the easiest answer is that it pulls in its power from the people. It’s open to interpretation. Any one lyric, one melody, can have thousands (literally thousands) of different interpretations for each and every person who receives the message presented in the material. The artist and producers of the piece of artwork put it together with certain intentions, but the incredible thing is that not only will the message they are sending be received by the listeners, but other unintended repercussions will occur. People will interpret the work differently. They will hear things that not even the artist realized. And suddenly, the song, the lyrics, the melody, come to life. It takes its first metaphorical breath, and begins a journey of its own. It begins to grow. And then, if it’s lucky, it begins to impact culture. A select few songs have transcended genre. They are no longer rock, country, folk, or even rap or hip-hop. They are now standards; art classics.
This is just one argument for why music is so powerful. It is my argument. I tend to believe that music is an art that has transcended it’s other media brethren.
Television and Film come close. Literature comes closer. But the beautiful thing about music is that it encompasses these worlds. Music videos deliver messages just as film and television; lyrics present philosophies just as literature does. Music went from being part of barbaric rituals, to being high standard entertainment for the wealthy aristocrats, to being the art of the people.
The journey is storied, and it’s still taking place. And it will never stop.
Take a breath… Let’s talk.
The question now is why. Why write about music? I would like to be able to sit here and explain that I am trying to prepare you for some grand theory I have about the art; and that I am going to explain how it affects you daily; and that I wish to change the common perception of music in general to a more enlightened sense of the word. I would like to say that, honestly. But I cannot. I write about music for one rather plain reason. I like it.
Yes, writing about music comes almost effortless to me. When I talk about how it affects me and how I see the art, I feel at ease. Writing about it is almost as good as listening to it. Listening to it is almost as good as writing music itself. And writing music is almost as good as playing music. With my brain in a state of sanity, I state the following without any reservations or attempts at exaggerations, without music, I could not survive.
This short passage shall serve as the intro to several more essays to come. Some will talk of my theories on music. Others will speak of how specific artists have affected me as an individual. Many will contain grammatical errors, misspellings, incomplete sentences, and other mistakes… on purpose. Why? You will have to wait to find out. I plan to write about Rock and Roll, Country, Pop, Classical, Rap and Hip Hop, Soul, and also about the Business itself. Record making, producing, distributing. I will spotlight specific albums for selfish reasons and other albums for historical sake. I will forget to write about half of what I just mentioned… on purpose. Some essays will be ragged and unpolished, others will be pristine. Either way, I want everyone to know two particular things. It’s all on purpose, and, more importantly, I’m writing for me.
When I write, I usually tell the story of a show/concert with the hopes that others can envision what they missed out on or relive something they will never forget. But during this series, I will write for selfish reasons. I will ramble and I will get my thoughts out of my head in the form of the written word. And perhaps they may interest you as well.
Music, from me to me. You may be a part of it if you like.
Comments