"Heavy metal uses apocalyptic themes and images of power and darkness, the ability to translate verbal ideas into musical ideas that successfully convey the ideas of the words is critical to heavy metal authenticity and credibility." -Wikipedia.ca
It really pisses me off when people say that music prompts suicide. Songs cannot physically make someone kill themself. It is the person themself who chooses to do the action. Nothing else. I'm not trying to be an insensitive bitch about the subject. I'm really not. Suicide is a serious issue and should never be joked about, and people I know have been affected by it.
My point is that there have been many bad things that have happened that people blame on music; specific songs and genres. I'm going to throw out a bunch of examples now that pissed me off.
In 1985, two teenagers in Nevada killed themselves two days before Christmas. They had listened to Judas Priest before they did it. Because of that, the parents of the teenagers took Judas Priest to court and tried to sue them. They claimed that the music of Judas Priest had prompted the boys to kill themselves. The fact is that both of the boys were troubled dropouts, had criminal records, had problems holding jobs, and had already led sad and miserable lives BEFORE they listened to Judas Priest. Each had also come from a family with a history of domestic violence and child abuse and had gotten counseling.
In 2006, a 12-year old girl and her 23 year old boyfriend were charged for murdering her parents and brother. I remember reading the article in the newspaper about it. They were describing her and it said "she states heavy metal as her favourite music." This was a completely unneccesary comment, especially since they did not talk about any of her interests, only how old she was and where she went to school. Heavy metal music has nothing to do with the killing. Maybe her 23 year old boyfriend?? TWENTY THREE YEARS OLD. Something is a little fucked up there. First of all, that's illegal because she is TWELVE. Second, he probably made her do it. Third, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HEAVY METAL MUSIC. Music didn't make her kill her parents. So why the fuck would you mention it in the first place? Oh yeah- stereotypes.
This happens all the time. Bands and music get blamed for people who were depressed in the first place who commit suicide. Music cannot make you commit suicide. You are the one who physically takes your own life. In the end it is your own decision, and if you really want to do it, whether you listen to a song or not, you're still going to do it.
I apologize for my brutal language.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
World Beats, yo
"Music is the universal language of mankind." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Outre-Mer
One of the things i'm amazed with is world music. It's fascinating. There are so many different things associated with music, and it's all over the world. I think it's amazing how there are so many different dances to different types of music, and it seems like no matter where you are in a country, everyone knows the dance.
Take Greece, for example. My Greek uncle is always playing these Greek songs, and I always thought it would be different in the actual country of Greece, and that these songs were 'North-Americanized.' I was proved wrong. I went to Greece this past March, and throughout the streets the exact same music was being played. It clicked in that this music was being shared all over the world, even though it originated in one country.
In one continent (Europe, for example), there are thousands of types of music that vary per country. Germany has different music than Italy, Italy has different music than Switzerland, Switzerland has different music than Turkey...and so on and so forth. It's exhausting, really.
My favourite thing is when bands take different aspects of world music and put it with theirs. My favourite band, the Dropkick Murphys, is an Irish punk band. They have the basic band instruments (guitars, bass, drums, vocals) as well as traditional celtic instruments (fiddles, bagpipes, mandolins, accordians, etc.). It blows my mind every time I listen to them. When I see them in concert, it's even more amazing. Other bands I love do this too, but the Dropkick Murphys are my favourite.
In my opinion, there is no bad genre of music. I think I have music from every nationality on my Itunes, and saved on my computer. The best thing about it is the weird looks I get when I play something random. Those weird looks actually show the intolerance, judgements, stereotypes, negative conotations, and other things associated with lacking cultural experience. That's my opinion, and it's not changing.
One of the things i'm amazed with is world music. It's fascinating. There are so many different things associated with music, and it's all over the world. I think it's amazing how there are so many different dances to different types of music, and it seems like no matter where you are in a country, everyone knows the dance.
Take Greece, for example. My Greek uncle is always playing these Greek songs, and I always thought it would be different in the actual country of Greece, and that these songs were 'North-Americanized.' I was proved wrong. I went to Greece this past March, and throughout the streets the exact same music was being played. It clicked in that this music was being shared all over the world, even though it originated in one country.
In one continent (Europe, for example), there are thousands of types of music that vary per country. Germany has different music than Italy, Italy has different music than Switzerland, Switzerland has different music than Turkey...and so on and so forth. It's exhausting, really.
My favourite thing is when bands take different aspects of world music and put it with theirs. My favourite band, the Dropkick Murphys, is an Irish punk band. They have the basic band instruments (guitars, bass, drums, vocals) as well as traditional celtic instruments (fiddles, bagpipes, mandolins, accordians, etc.). It blows my mind every time I listen to them. When I see them in concert, it's even more amazing. Other bands I love do this too, but the Dropkick Murphys are my favourite.
In my opinion, there is no bad genre of music. I think I have music from every nationality on my Itunes, and saved on my computer. The best thing about it is the weird looks I get when I play something random. Those weird looks actually show the intolerance, judgements, stereotypes, negative conotations, and other things associated with lacking cultural experience. That's my opinion, and it's not changing.
The Roots of It All
"If Beethoven had been killed in a plane crash at the age of 22, it would have changed the history of music, and of aviation." -Tom Stoppard
History's important. In everything.
Especially music. In my opinion, it's so important to know where everything comes from. You may think your music has nothing to do with other types, but you're wrong. Every genre of music came from another genre, which came from another genre, etc.
It all started with the Renaissance.
Well, technically you could say that it started in ancient times, all the way back to the cave people and neanderthols. Archaeologists have found ancient musical instruments, like sticks being hit together. For this blog's sake, we'll stick with modern music, onwards from the Renaissance.
During Medieval times, people listened to classical music and composers. This carried on into the Renaissance, in which people listened to classical composers. This actually carried on into the 20th century, when things started to change.
First came Jazz music. Then swing music. Everybody in the 1920's was going to clubs and doing the jitterbug and the rabbit hop. Then came country and grassroots, then rhythm and blues, which led into my personal favourite genre, good old rock and roll. This is where it gets crazy. Rock and roll music led into other genres, such as disco, harder classic rock, and...hip hop. Original hip hop featured guitars and riffs placed with the beats, and then transitioned into the hip hop we know today.
Crazy, isn't it?
History's important. In everything.
Especially music. In my opinion, it's so important to know where everything comes from. You may think your music has nothing to do with other types, but you're wrong. Every genre of music came from another genre, which came from another genre, etc.
It all started with the Renaissance.
Well, technically you could say that it started in ancient times, all the way back to the cave people and neanderthols. Archaeologists have found ancient musical instruments, like sticks being hit together. For this blog's sake, we'll stick with modern music, onwards from the Renaissance.
During Medieval times, people listened to classical music and composers. This carried on into the Renaissance, in which people listened to classical composers. This actually carried on into the 20th century, when things started to change.
First came Jazz music. Then swing music. Everybody in the 1920's was going to clubs and doing the jitterbug and the rabbit hop. Then came country and grassroots, then rhythm and blues, which led into my personal favourite genre, good old rock and roll. This is where it gets crazy. Rock and roll music led into other genres, such as disco, harder classic rock, and...hip hop. Original hip hop featured guitars and riffs placed with the beats, and then transitioned into the hip hop we know today.
Crazy, isn't it?
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