Music Makes Minds Go Mental

international | miscellaneous | opinion/analysis

Monday October 12, 2009 22:59

by Philip O' Rourke

philip-o-rourke at live dot ie

6 Ridgewood Avenue, Sowrds, Co. Dublin

Music is a big influence on everybodys lives, weather we like it or not.

Music, it makes the world go round doesn't it. But what people don't understand how much influence it has over us. Think about it, it starts from when we are children. We start to listen to catchy lyrics, beats that make us dance (i'm of course using the word dance loosly). As chldren we don't care who the artist is, who porduced the music or the hidden message in the song,if there is one.

Then there is your early teens.You start to pick what type of music you like, you start to listen to the lyrics and make them relate to you and your life. You only do this with one or two songs, as only one or two things in your life at this time ae relevant, (Sports/School or Girls/Boys). At that age you don't have money problems, well you shouldn't be in your early teens. I remember going to a football match in my dads car. He a tape on. I really hated when he done this because it usually involved a Bee Gee song that I had heard hundreds of times but this time it was different. It was The Lighthouse Family and the song was High. The lyrics were stuck in my head, even during my match. And from that day on I always remember the lyrics to that song, especially the opening ones. " When your close to tears remember, some day it will be all be over". It's now the motto to my life. When I have a bad day I think of those lyrics, I think of that song.

Then there is the social part of music. Music can define who you hang around with, who you become friends with and who you choose to not like. Goths kids listened to heavy metal, not-so-nice-kids listened to rave and dance, girly-girls listened to whatever girlband or popular female artist is out at the time and then you have the smart kids who listen to indie or classic or something nobody else would listen to. Then you have a group that would listen to everything. I would be in the latter group. Its sad but true. I used to 'hate' goth kids. And it was partly because they listend to heavy metal. But I never listend to heavy metal so I was just being stupid.

But the point I am making is that music made me hate someone and I know I am not the only one. Look I was very narrow minded at that age, early teens I think my mates and I are the best at everything, that we know everything and that whatever we did was right and orignal.

Music is the most powerful influence on our lifes. It is on out radio's, T.V and is in the media. It is everywhere and nobody can get away from it. Weather you like heavy metal or pop the lyrics of the songs you listen to influence the actions you take in everyday life. Rappers are a great example. They rap about being part of gangs, The Bluds and The Cribs being prime examples and this influences some young (American) kids to become part of these gangs. Not every kid but some kids. Or these rappers rap about having guns and then some kids listen too this, want to be like their 'Heroes' and carry around weapons like guns or knifes.

They are some of the negative influences music has on our lives but there are some positives. Micheal Jackson was one of them. Music can be used to send out messages to the world. MJ did that with some of his songs and that is why he will be remebered forvever as well as being extremely talented. Live Aid is another example. An event that sent a huge message to the world that there are those less fortunate then us out there and that we should think about. Songslike Kelly Rowlands ' Stole' help us think about our action's and bullying and thinking before we speak. So music has a postiive effect aswell.

Music is a huge influence on us all.

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Comments (1 of 1)

True

by paul o toole

Mon Oct 19, 2009 12:18

I could write a tome on the influence of music on the lives of anyone with an ear or two but i have to fly....to a gig actually.

The horrible truth about what I would describe as real music, is it has been hi-jacked by the corporate/media pirate ship.
The lines between 'art' and 'entertainment' have been blurred to the unaware, unsuspecting listeners.
The image of the 'folksinger' has been ridiculed to the station of lampoon. Rap, when it emerged, was a fantastic 'artistic' reaction of the black communities of South LA and East LA to the persistant harrasment of the LAPD culminating in the acquittal of the 5 LAPD cops caught on video beating Rodney King to a pulp. Rap now is a sad shadow of its former self, used to degrade black women into objective roles, rather than a radical creative reaction to the enviroment of the artist.
Same with folk singers, even Opera has been hijacked. The themes in opera are often about struggle.....now lost on the well heeled elite citizens of a commercial enterprise....as has happened across the board regarding all possible radical forms of music.

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Music Makes Minds Go Mental

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