Analyzing music can be good and bad. By this I mean that you have to understand the music. Music is all aimed towards and audience in a certain period of time. For instance if all the radios played the same genre of music how many would listen to the radio. For this very reason I would caution over analyzing or even analyzing at all.
Right now there are millions of people listening to radios around the world. If we could put one song on all the radios and asked people what they thought how many would listen. Well If we are playing a “LIL Wayne” song with all the vulgar words he uses I bet we would lose children, elderly and all foreign countries. If people are analyzing music that they don’t understand why would they listen to it. Now if you asked the audience that likes that type of music I bet they would rant and rave about the song.
Music can only be analyzed by someone who that music pertains to and here is why. When was the last time you played a song by Gene Krupa or Glenn Miller? Well even if you have ever heard of them which I bet none have,you can ask anyone in there sixties , seventies or eighties and they would say how great they were and how magical there music was. Well if you don’t know these big band names, these artist would be compared to groups from our generation like a “Kiss” or “Iron Madden”. People would pack arenas to listen and dance to there music. The funny thing is most all big band music was just that music no vocals.
Now if we ask a typical high school kid to analyze a song from a big band group, how could he? He or she would not understand that there were fifteen to twenty people working together to make this music happen. Its not being generated for a beat machine. The analyzer probably would get board after three minutes and not listen to the eight to twelve minute song. So for this reason I believing analyzing music has to be done by people who are the audience and even at that not over analyze the music.
Analyzing and trying to break down what the song was about and who the song is or was aimed towards representing might be totally different ideas then what the analyzer is thinking. For instance, they say if you play a certain Ozzy Osborne song backward they say the lyrics say and I quote “ Get the gun get the gun shoot shoot shoot”. Now this is what a crazy attorney said after a young man took his life. Now I have heard the song and disagree but in the Eighties this made major news media cry out like Ozzy needed to be hung. Now listen to a Fifty Cent song . He talks about how many guys are out to kill him and how he has too kill them before they get him and so on. This song doesn’t need backward masking. Not enough ok maybe the analogies are a bit shallow. But lets have a gay pride meeting listen to a Eminem song where he calls gays “faggots” and offends those people. Now people that regularly listen tom his music understands that he is not trying to attack them by any means. But if you have someone trying to analyze the music, really how effective is it. Please don’t take offense to any of the examples as those are not my views just pure examples.And this is why I don't like the analyzing of music. It takes away from just the experience of the song and takes it to a level above just entertainment.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Music Variety in my playlist
After review of my ipod I see I have a wide variety of music. I notice that over that paste seven years my type of music and favorites have change about once a year. I notice that I have several different types of play lists that I have created at different points in my life. There definitely a trend to the type of music I was listening to in association to what was going on in my life.
After looking at what type of music I had on the ipod and comparing it to my taste I realized I had a few songs that I had no interest in. I notice I had songs on it that I had put on there because other people would like them. For instance I have twelve song that are reggatone. Now I don’t speak Spanish good enough to listen to that type of music. But my wife likes that type so I put some on there for road trips so she can’t gripe at me and say we only listen to my music. So kind of think ahead with that one and hopefully avoiding any small scuffle. But I notice I also did that for my friends as well.
The majority of music that my friends listen to is rap or hip hop which is ok but I don’t like it enough to listen to it all day everyday. But I put it on my Ipod because if we go on road trips they would be ok with the music selection. Now personally like I said in my previous blog I like rock. Now I can listen to that all day long but after an hour my friends and wife start getting these really funny faces and irritated looks on there faces. I laugh a little bit inside and try to stretch it to the point they try to start a conversation so you have to turn the music off. This is pretty trendy though because my moods change often.
If I hear a song on the radio or in a movie or even in a restaurant and something clicks inside of me and I want to hear more music like it. That’s why I really like my ipod because no matter how often I change what I want to listen to or how much I want to hear something new I always can. If I get in a mood for some eighties rock I create a new play list and name it something like new eighties rock jams. So you can imagine how many different play lists I have. Yet I also have patterns of music I listen to at the gym or before a game or tournament.
Different sports also play a part in what I listen to. Before I step out onto a mat or a field I like to listen to music that gets your adrenalin pumping. Music that sets that fire inside off from the normal level of a small camp fire to that level of uncontainable forest fire. And as soon as the game or match is over I put something a tad bit more mellow on to put those fires out. So I can really see a wide variety of music for many different purposes. And that’s how I keep my sanity in the daily grind.
After looking at what type of music I had on the ipod and comparing it to my taste I realized I had a few songs that I had no interest in. I notice I had songs on it that I had put on there because other people would like them. For instance I have twelve song that are reggatone. Now I don’t speak Spanish good enough to listen to that type of music. But my wife likes that type so I put some on there for road trips so she can’t gripe at me and say we only listen to my music. So kind of think ahead with that one and hopefully avoiding any small scuffle. But I notice I also did that for my friends as well.
The majority of music that my friends listen to is rap or hip hop which is ok but I don’t like it enough to listen to it all day everyday. But I put it on my Ipod because if we go on road trips they would be ok with the music selection. Now personally like I said in my previous blog I like rock. Now I can listen to that all day long but after an hour my friends and wife start getting these really funny faces and irritated looks on there faces. I laugh a little bit inside and try to stretch it to the point they try to start a conversation so you have to turn the music off. This is pretty trendy though because my moods change often.
If I hear a song on the radio or in a movie or even in a restaurant and something clicks inside of me and I want to hear more music like it. That’s why I really like my ipod because no matter how often I change what I want to listen to or how much I want to hear something new I always can. If I get in a mood for some eighties rock I create a new play list and name it something like new eighties rock jams. So you can imagine how many different play lists I have. Yet I also have patterns of music I listen to at the gym or before a game or tournament.
Different sports also play a part in what I listen to. Before I step out onto a mat or a field I like to listen to music that gets your adrenalin pumping. Music that sets that fire inside off from the normal level of a small camp fire to that level of uncontainable forest fire. And as soon as the game or match is over I put something a tad bit more mellow on to put those fires out. So I can really see a wide variety of music for many different purposes. And that’s how I keep my sanity in the daily grind.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Life and the Musical Influences
As the son of a former rock drummer I have been influenced by music since day one. Music has been a release for me and a way for me to communicate with my father. My parents divorced in the summer of '93 and it was really hard on my father and brother. I on the other hand really tried to block it out of my mind as like it never happened. My Father would practice for hours on ends and listen to a variety of rock. Some of the music was about lost love and some about the hurt of a break up. As I got older I understood the music for more than just the words or compilation of sounds. I really started to associated feelings with the music I was being exposed to after the divorce.
Music was not only an escape for my father but me to. I would listen to cd after cd in my room just thinking about the changes in my life. My dad made it easier by keeping me and my brother busy with sports and school but we still wanted to know when mom was coming home. And when we were told she wasn’t was normal to go to our room and listen to music. So music has played a big part in my life as far as a comfort item and communication tool with my father.
I really like southern and classic rock and think that this type of music best describes me as a person. Maybe its because that’s the type of music my dad like s and that’s the type of music I grew up listening to. I like how there are different guys working together to produce a kick you in the face sound. As a former college athlete I used this rough and loud sound to get me ready for the game mentally. I like music where there are actually musicians. Not to down rap or hip hop or techno but its not the same. If your playing an instrument and playing a solo you don’t have time to throw up gang signs or grab your genitals. Now I’m not saying I don’t sometimes listen to that genre of music or don’t admire the lyrical content but I just like rock more.
I think the music that’s being produced today lacks depth and has spilled over into our community and country. Today’s kids try to emulate the gangster look and mentality. Its now cool to be in a gang and cool to live the life style of a thug. Music that talks about getting high and having sex with many different partners is the new norm in music. I think today’s music is not much more than the demise of our communities. It’s non productive and hate music. The funniest thing I think of is when I watch a Cop show on TV and one of the lead characters on it is Ice T. Ice T in the mid 90’s put a song out called cop killer and now he portrays a cop. What a sell out that move ways.
The theme of the music sets the tone for your emotions. I like the kick you in the face style of rock. I appreciate rock more due to my experiences with it as a child. It’s like I formed a bond with rock at a young age. But I do listen to some artists of Rap and Country as I like there style and the stories they tell. The theme that connects me with my childhood is what I look for in music..
Music was not only an escape for my father but me to. I would listen to cd after cd in my room just thinking about the changes in my life. My dad made it easier by keeping me and my brother busy with sports and school but we still wanted to know when mom was coming home. And when we were told she wasn’t was normal to go to our room and listen to music. So music has played a big part in my life as far as a comfort item and communication tool with my father.
I really like southern and classic rock and think that this type of music best describes me as a person. Maybe its because that’s the type of music my dad like s and that’s the type of music I grew up listening to. I like how there are different guys working together to produce a kick you in the face sound. As a former college athlete I used this rough and loud sound to get me ready for the game mentally. I like music where there are actually musicians. Not to down rap or hip hop or techno but its not the same. If your playing an instrument and playing a solo you don’t have time to throw up gang signs or grab your genitals. Now I’m not saying I don’t sometimes listen to that genre of music or don’t admire the lyrical content but I just like rock more.
I think the music that’s being produced today lacks depth and has spilled over into our community and country. Today’s kids try to emulate the gangster look and mentality. Its now cool to be in a gang and cool to live the life style of a thug. Music that talks about getting high and having sex with many different partners is the new norm in music. I think today’s music is not much more than the demise of our communities. It’s non productive and hate music. The funniest thing I think of is when I watch a Cop show on TV and one of the lead characters on it is Ice T. Ice T in the mid 90’s put a song out called cop killer and now he portrays a cop. What a sell out that move ways.
The theme of the music sets the tone for your emotions. I like the kick you in the face style of rock. I appreciate rock more due to my experiences with it as a child. It’s like I formed a bond with rock at a young age. But I do listen to some artists of Rap and Country as I like there style and the stories they tell. The theme that connects me with my childhood is what I look for in music..
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