It Matters: Music in Culture

Many people will agree that music over time has lost its purpose of explaining life, the government, social standards, and other topics like that. Today, many of the genre's of music we hear today are pretty much pointless. Lets take a song like 'Chicken Leg'. What is the point?

Back in the 60's and 70's, music had a point, whether it was directed at the social standards of society, the government, or whatever it was that famous artists decided to write about; music really had a deep moral purpose to it. Today most musicians who make it big rely on a computer, and something stupid to sing about.

In class we learn about great classical composers who truly changed the way of music. I also firmly believe that the way composers in the classical periods have influenced such bands as Dream Theater. If you were to listen to any song by Dream Theater you would understand where i am coming from. The amount of practice, coordination, precision, and complexity can litterally let you hear a connection to such great composers long ago.

Many people including myself believe that a genre like rap is just another source of problems for many Americans. I think that much of rap we hear is centralized around drugs, drinking, fighting, gang-banging, and alot of other illegal things. Violence and rap seem to go hand in hand. For instance on May 30th 2009 there was a shooting in Austin Texas when a rap group couldn't play because the group showed up late. Members of the band shot up eight people that police say were mostly women. Whats the point? There is no point what so ever, another mindless shooting spree fueled by anger.

Many modern musical artists really need to start using music to portray emotions. Classical composers seem to fuel the mind and heart. On September 16th, i remember coming to class in a okay mood. When I wasn't allowed to hand in a assignment i was honestly very mad. I understood why but its just that I did the work and should get credit. After that I was rather upset. When our class listened to a piece of music by a classical composer, it seemed like I actually felt a little better. Music tends to sooth me, and it seemed to help alot of other people in the class as well.

Music needs to regain the significance that it played in a persons' life as it did before all these new genre's of music came out. It seems like every day brings us a new song that has no meaning, just another sound on the airwaves. Artists should bring back the intellectual sounds that we once used to hear and bring them back. If someone took these steps, music would once again take charge, and maybe even give us the news we want to hear about.