Friday, February 03, 2006

Ranting about music poll

Is there any more telling statement about music today than that a recent poll showed that 49% of 18-34 year olds think music is getting worse? Being just outside that range doesn’t change my agreement with the other 49%. I do fall into the 98% that find rap hip hop to not be my favorite style of music. I know its quite a shock to some of my readers. What does this mean though?

I don’t think this poll was focused on cities, or it was very balanced to include smaller towns. [Cities have millions of people, towns don’t. Most would disagree with that but as a man raised in the city where 3 blocks contain as many people as some places signified as cities, it makes sense. IE. Salt Lake is a big town with 750,000 L.A. is a city with ~4 million.] The poll claims that only 18% under 35 think it’s their favorite style of music. In my experience the majority of youth in a city, Black African American, Hispanic, White or otherwise, listen to rap hip hop almost exclusively. That says nothing to the quality of the music, just as the plethora of malt liquor ads in urban poor areas says nothing about the quality of liquor in general. But the fact that almost a majority find that the music (of all styles including rock, alternative, country ect) is repetitive, uninspired, commercialized and fluff vs. quality is significant. (I may be reading into the numbers a bit) What is causing this noticeable lack of originality and taste?

American Idol, one hit wonders, and lack of music programs in schools. There have always been the one hitters out there, that is the nature of the business. American Idol in my humble opinion is the single greatest example of the bottom of the common denominator that television tries to mass produce. It provides the deadliest of all the ills in pandora’s box, hope. Tens of thousands of sub-par hopefuls compete to get the chance to underwhelm as an entertainer. Name the last song of a winner of any of the Idolesque shows, or an actual purchase of said artists album that you made. How about a friend of yours? When in a flood of no talents, the sub-par shine as if they were legends until true talented entertainers are brought to bear.

The bigger problem though is we are not inspiring kids to delve into music, or any of the arts, in any serious manner. Rather that providing programs to teach and develop raw talent and skill, we provide the hope of sudden riches and fame in these pedestrian programs. And when some with any talent or skill do succeed they are not prepared for the cost of sudden fame and critic. It’s hard to imagine a modern day Mozart, when we don’t give kids the chance to actually touch an instrument, hear a chorus, or get near a stage. Someone once said, “When a civilization stops growing its culture it stops growing and decays.” [Tell me who and I will give them the credit they deserve]

Yes I am rambling a bit, but that’s what the blog is for right?

1 comment:

M. Vass said...

Thank you for commenting. I think that we will not see popular music take that route. Especially not Rap/hiphop. The reason is that rap started in a culturally aware state and then evolved to this. Well to be exact, it started as an expression of sheer fun and excitement (Grandmaster Flash) and then gained momentum to more strong views (Chubb Rock I think or KRS-1, Kurtis Blow) and then, very sadly, pinnicaled with Public Enemy. After that point it became increasingly about violence, misogeny and money. Materialism over substance. In a decade we haven't seem anything beyond a couple of songs from highly successful rappers (Tupac, Emminem) mixed in sparringly among albums filled with the widely followed garbage that is music today. I think the quote from LL Cool J in my post Entertainers Queen Latifah, LL Cool J and Stephen Cobert really captures the essence of what I mean.

The good thing though is that eventually music will evolve and change to a new direction. I can only hope it is more positive and helpful than what is out there today.

We'll see. Again, thank you for your comment.