{"id":8677,"date":"2018-10-01T12:00:59","date_gmt":"2018-10-01T16:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/?p=8677"},"modified":"2018-10-01T12:00:59","modified_gmt":"2018-10-01T16:00:59","slug":"dad-music-or-something-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/2018\/10\/01\/dad-music-or-something-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Dad Music… or Something More?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rock and roll<\/span><\/i>. What do these words inspire within you? Many think of the Beatles, Nirvana, or AC\/DC. A handful of people think of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, or Metallica. Indeed, rock and roll music is riddled with stereotypes. Many relegate it to the status of irrelevant \u201cdad\u201d music. However, modern listeners ought to take rock music<\/span> seriously; a failure to do so is telling of a culture ignorant of its past.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rock music originated<\/a> in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. While blues and jazz existed<\/a> for decades prior, figures like Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Ritchie Valens, and later Jimi Hendrix, helped propel the genre into a global phenomenon. Rock exploded<\/a> in England, which produced acts like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin. Birmingham\u2019s Black Sabbath provided<\/a> rock music with its darker edge, paving the way for the heavy metal of the 1970s and on. Characteristics of rock music include its intensity and upbeat quality. To \u201crock out\u201d is \u201cto go ballistic,\u201d according<\/a> to <\/span>The Urban Dictionary<\/span><\/i>. If rock music is so exciting, where has it gone?<\/span><\/p>\n

I would argue that the internet has affected the way we relate to music. Texting and social media are testaments to the idea that we are a superficial<\/a> generation. Just as we digitize our human experiences and befriend profiles over people, we also refuse to <\/span>know<\/span><\/i> our music. We discover our music on YouTube or Spotify, refusing<\/a> to purchase albums, read song lyrics, or get to know the human being behind our music. <\/span><\/p>\n

This quick-fix approach, however, is fundamentally at odds with rock music. The pummeling bass line in Metallica\u2019s \u201cEnter Sandman\u201d is reflective of a type of artistic rage we are unwilling to confront today. John Bonham innovated with such primal grace that few would dare attempt today. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham\u2019s vocals in \u201cThe Chain\u201d join together in haunting harmony, resonating with listeners forty years later. Common to these artists\u2019 music is a spiritual quality. To truly appreciate music of this caliber, we need to give up a part of ourselves. Yet, we find our way around even physically touching an album; with the click of a button, we erase the story behind the song we so eagerly crave. It is no wonder then that the Billboard Hot 100 is updated<\/a> weekly. Artists can leave out the gut-wrenching brokenness characteristic of lasting music when society itself is focused on the next big thing that might satisfy its fleeting itch. <\/span><\/p>\n

To restore music to its former grandeur, we need to take some steps. If older music makes it way onto the radio, pay attention closely. Older music stems from a time when few buttons could be pressed to propel one into fame; music like this is likely to offer more musical depth than many of the radio hits of today. In addition, we must strive to appreciate the influence of older generations on us. Common practice among youth today is to wear the t-shirts of bands like Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, and Slayer, while remaining oblivious to these bands\u2019 cultural importance. In doing so, people reduce bands merely to their image, which is a small fraction of these bands\u2019 cultural impact. My advice: listen to the band that you flaunt! Go beyond their most popular songs. Learn the significance of the t-shirt that you hold so dearly. In doing so, you will help perpetuate the beauty of a time present only in the stories of our parents, the hallowed fringes of the internet, and the daring of our time. <\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, appreciate <\/span>today\u2019s<\/span><\/i> music. If an artist of today speaks to you, great! Use this as an opportunity to improve the artist-listener connection. Support your favorite artists by purchasing their music and attending their concerts. At the very least, don\u2019t pirate their music. Listen to music deeply, focusing on the subtleties and nuances present within the lyrics and melodies. Ask yourself: <\/span>what does the artist seek to communicate? <\/span><\/i>In doing so, you will develop a richer appreciation of your favorite artists, free yourself from mindless listening, and maybe even inspire yourself to write a song or two in the spirit of your musical heroes!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rock and roll. What do these words inspire within you? Many think of the Beatles, Nirvana, or AC\/DC. A handful of people think of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, or Metallica. Indeed, rock and roll music is riddled with stereotypes. Many relegate it to the status of irrelevant \u201cdad\u201d music. However, modern listeners ought to take…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":703,"featured_media":8726,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"portfolio_post_id":0,"portfolio_citation":"","portfolio_annotation":"","openlab_post_visibility":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[986,1468,1596,1710,1803,1877],"class_list":["post-8677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","tag-heavy-metal","tag-music","tag-opinions","tag-pop-music","tag-radio","tag-rock-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/703"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8677"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8677\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}