Sunday, July 29, 2012

Rock Music Diversity

They jumped, swayed, screamed, danced, and never seemed to quit moving as they experienced the rock band on stage. Despite the crowded conditions, the harsh sounds from the stage, the repetition of rhythm and bass line, and the nearly migraine causing pulsation of constant flashing lights, the approximately 30,000 people in the audience loved every minute. It was a rock concert and I was intrigued.

I have attended several rock concerts over the years but have never been a big fan until recently. I recall in high school coming home from a rock concert with a dull ringing in my ears, my clothes smelling of smoke, and an exhaustion that took several days to overcome. I was probably different from my friends and did not find the experience all that enjoyable. Of course in those days, smoking was quite common (no research on second hand smoke), and behavior was generally without restraint in large crowds. The average age was probably 20 and there was enough hair in the room to blanket a large city! Most people, I was an exception I suspect, did not attend to analyze the vocal quality or the harmony or listen to new timbres. Most were there to jump and scream and to rebel in some kind of way.

Now fast forward 30 years and I am really enjoying rock music. And I am not the only middle aged, established citizen with aches and pains and little hair who enjoys rock music. As I look upon the people attending rock concerts today, I realize that rock music spans several generations. Of course not everyone of all ages wants to enjoy the concert while standing on the floor for several hours and gyrating all parts of the body throughout the concert. It would just be too exhausting. But most of us "old guys" enjoy sitting in seats and jumping up when the time comes. Rock music is just pure fun.

I was a little nervous at the Snow Patrol concert in London. Would people be watching me and wondering why a Dean of Music were at a rock concert? But as I sat there looking around, I realized there were lots of people my age and older. Some looked elite, others looked like working class. I began to talk to the people around me (this, by the way, is a strange thing to do in London, but I did it anyway), and discovered a lawyer, a doctor, a banker, and a bus driver. These were people not caught up in their professions or  what  expectations others may have of them, but rather these were people who came to enjoy a great concert. So I got drawn into the experience and loved it. It was fun and I quickly got over the paranoid feeling of what a Dean of Music is supposed to like or dislike.

But with maturity, education, and knowledge, does come the power of discernment. Not all rock music is great (at least from my view). I like some of it and some of it I don't. I think some of it is incredible but other songs and groups seem rather ho-hum. Similar to my approach to art music, I recognize rock music for what it is--music for entertainment, for emotional expression, for cleansing, for moving, and mostly for fun! These purposes are not all that different from art music although in art music we tend to take a loftier, more sublime view of the experience.

Admittedly, art music tends to stick in my mind longer, to interest me more, to be more sensitive, more powerful, more personal, and have more depth. But rather than spending inordinate hours dwelling on the differences, I prefer to meld the concepts into one--after all it is just music whether "sophisticated" or "simple" or "classical" or "popular". I find myself no longer rejecting rock music as I once did, and instead I am embracing it as simply another style of music with a certain kind of appeal. And, truthfully, there are as many faces to rock music and there are faces to classical music.

Rock and pop music are as varied as any other art form. A discerning listener will find something to like and something to hate in any art form and in any genre. Such is true in rock music. While I tend to take an academic approach to the music, in the end it is about one's preferences and often about one's mood or even attitude. Time to relax and enjoy it. My musical journey may take many pathways and may enter some roads that seem less traveled or at least traveled by unusual people, but the goal is to learn and to enjoy it, whether that be rock, pop, folk, classical, ethnic, film, and the list continues.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Casual thoughts this a.m.

My wife returned from an overnight trip with her lady friends and said she had a great time shopping, watching a movie, talking, eating, and just getting away for a short time. I listened to her recount the trip (I really am a good husband sometimes) and asked the appropriate questions--What was the movie? Where did you eat? How was the motel? Did everybody get along? etc. I then asked her what kinds of things did they talk about (fearing of course that their husbands were the main topic of conversation!). She said this and that, various things like food, shopping, children, decorating, and weddings. Weddings? She then reminded me that her friend's daughter had just had a wedding.

Thinking through her time with her friends and their discussions, I realized that in all my years of talking with other men, I don't recall discussing a wedding. I think men talk a little about the expense of certain weddings and sometimes funny things that happen but for the most part men never discuss colors or flowers or dresses or cakes or really anything about the wedding. But the more amazing part of this story is that my wife actually could detail the discussions she had with her friends.

I usually forget most conversations after they occur. If I spent a couple of days with some men and were later asked to recall the conversation, I would probably only remember the funny moments or perhaps the broad discussions without detail. If I do a little pontificating on this, I might suspect that women are superior to men in remembering details. But I think I will choose, instead, to laugh at our differences and avoid qualitative analysis.

Studying economics these days and am amazed at the complexity of our economic world. And yet, in the end it really comes back to demand and supply. When we manipulate the markets without depending on the demand to determine the supply, we wreck the natural balance of the economy. It is a myth that the government can create jobs. People create jobs through demand for goods or a service. Provide a good or a service that is wanted and/or useful, and a job is the result. To force the creation of a good without a demand or to offer a service that is unwanted is to create a false world without a foundation. Create jobs by recognizing a need and find a way to fill that void. It may be time to return to the truths of supply and demand.

We tried out our new juicer yesterday. Lots of work for very little result, but what juice we drank was glorious indeed! Well worth the effort. It did, however, remind me of my time in London where I often walked to Covent Garden to experience the artistic joys of outdoor classical music, great food, and an occasional juggler or unicycle expert. On the way, I would often stop at a very small cafe and order freshly made juice. Each time I felt my body energized by the delicious drink. I also noticed that the more I stopped there, the larger the portions became. The elderly Asian lady recognized me as a return customer and treated me with extra juice. Ah, London, you reside in a place in my heart!




Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Book completed, new one started

Finally completed and published my book about Joel. It is called Like a Crown: Adventures in Autism. It can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Authorhouse. A person can buy a hardback, paperback, or a digital download for Kindle. I expect to be worth a few million in about 500 years!

Onward to more projects and goals. What are your goals? I want to write another non-fiction book about the changes in the music world and how that affects music curriculum. I'm sure it will be another bestseller. Also am starting a work of fiction and am starting my Masters in Business Administration. Of course I have several pieces of music to write and a job as Dean. All great fun and keeps life interesting.

Trying to run 4-5 miles every other day but the body is not cooperating all that well with sore feet and legs that do not seem to move very quickly. I really do not feel tired until about the 3rd or 4th step! The days of pushups and weight training are long gone due to a sore shoulder but running is still going fairly well. I like staying in shape. It has been said that the more energy you use, the more you will have.

Still missing my London world of walking 5 miles a day and eating fresh food. Also miss the cathedrals, museums, galleries, concerts, shows, and breathless excitement of surviving each intersection. I miss hopping on a bus or descending the escalator for the tube, or seeking out a quicker way to get to the next destination. I miss the bread, the juice, the coffee, and the fish and chips. I miss seeing people reading books and newspapers and I miss walking down the street and hearing a guitar player or saxophone player or seeing a juggler or hearing an opera singer. I miss blending in and being a Londoner in a culture of nondescript anonymity that results in a form of independence and self-reliance. Nobody was interested in me, sad but comforting as well.

But I do not miss the lack of bathrooms nor do I miss the constant cigarette smoking of many Londoners. I wish I could say I miss the odd people I encountered in London but Texas has its share of oddities as well. Of course it takes one to know one...enough said on that. I do miss the sounds of the city but I also love the sounds of the Texas country. Music is all around us and takes on many forms and expressions. Never ignore the magnificent sounds that exist in nature and in the world.

Speaking of sounds, what is with the grasshoppers this year? You can hear them jumping and falling and eating. Big and awkward looking rascals. Sort of miniature dry-land Loch Ness monsters taking over the bushes, grass, and trees. Weird creatures for sure and unfriendly in spite of their desire to be near humans.

Watched a little Bonanza today. Little Joe sure was a hot-head at times but Adam remained the wise older brother. Good show.