|
|
My musings on music and all that surrounds it. Please feel free to share your best thoughts.
January 2008 - Posts
-
 Ever find that you're down and just need to listen to some of your favorite tunes? Isn't it true that there are moments when simply listening to a particular song or set of songs can totally bring you down from a dangerous emotional level? There are differences in listening preference among all of us, but I can think of a few artists or styles that make me feel better.
There is this one song by Over the Rhine that I could probably listen to over and over again. It's called Willoughby. It's an acoustic guitar piece that does nothing offensive with a quiet pulse that dulls the senses. It's a like a smooth margarita and can actually have similar after effects. There's something about it that makes everything all right. Do you have a song like that, or an artist that you like to listen to that just makes everything better?
|
-
As I sit brainstorming about music and its effects and uses in this world, I stumble upon this thought that music is often abused. There are 2 ways that I can think of that music is abused:
1) Music is abused in the sense that it is an artform and not all art is valid, because art is more than self-expression and has measurable qualities. This application can be made to any valid form of art (and I believe strongly that not all art is valid), but I will limit my discussion here to music. People of all ages and skill levels can, in my opinion, play valid forms of music in a variety of ways and circumstances. You don't have to be a pro to make "good" music. A music student is not a bad musician because he or she is learning, and the average person isn't making "bad" music by singing in the shower or bopping along with the radio.
However, people are not producing music simply because they are playing an instrument or singing. It might be said that they are producing music, but it is bad music. Some "professionals" are not producing good music, either, they are simply putting out a product that is consumable. R & B is a good general example of this, as it is the easiest form of music in which to produce widely accepted "bad" music. There are many talented R & B artists out there, don't misunderstand me. But "to the left, to the left" is neither musically creative nor does it possess any lyrical depth. If you beg to differ, please offer your opinion. These arguments have nothing to do with whether a so-called artist is financially successful--nothing. Working it in a studio does not make it good music. Artists that constantly produce this type of music are simply regurgitating old ideas with a different beat (to some extent all ideas are regurgitated) or adding some small twist to a generic beat and calling it music.
There is no way to really stop this behavior or put the brakes on bad music, because an entire society would have to begin thinking critically about their entertainment choices, and that is just not going to happen. So we will continue to live with, produce, buy and sell music that is sending us backward along the evolutionary scale, and no one will really notice or pay attention. I'm afraid one day it will get so bad that we'll all end up like Sandra Bullock's character in Demolition Man, singing our all-time favorites, and they'll all be commercials.
2) Music is abused in that people selfishly think you should like or listen to their preferred tunes. The most common form of this in my world is people playing music so loudly that everyone else has no choice but to hear it. It happens primarily among the younger people in this world and connotes an attitude of ignorance and stupidity. It is also a completely intolerant view of others, even though at first it seems I am the one being intolerant. Let's get down to fundamental reality first. Free speech was never intended to mean that people can say whatever, whenever, wherever, however, and to whomever they choose. The concept of free speech meaning I can do whatever I feel like doing is completely ridiculous and abusive toward others. That being said, I say that young people who blast their music so other people MUST hear it are ignorant and stupid. They are ignorant of proper ways to express oneself, and they are stupid because it will cause them hearing loss and it annoys other people (both facts plainly obvious to the casual observer).
|
-
There Are Days is now available to download
Copyright words and music by Chad R. Voller
there are days i feel like cryin'
there are days i feel like dyin'
there are days i've got my head on right
there are days i can't get one thing right
but i know Who holds tomorrow
i know who redeems my past
and i know these rain clouds, baby
they're gonna blow on past
there are days that start with sunshine
there are days that start and end with rain
there are days that seem to last forever
there are days i want to live again
but i know Who holds tomorrow
i know Who redeems my past
and i know these rain clouds, baby
they're gonna blow on past
|
-
People have their opinions about music, but I have never heard anyone say, "Music is stupid," or, "All music should be banned." There may be someone out there like that, but I have my doubts. Here are some words from "ubiquipedia" about music: The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of music
vary according to culture and social context. Music ranges from
strictly organized compositions (and their recreation in performance),
through improvisational music to aleatoric forms. Music can be divided into genres and sub-genres, although the dividing lines and relationships between music genres are often subtle, sometimes open to individual interpretation, and occasionally controversial. Within "the arts", music can be classified as a performing art, a fine art, or an auditory art form. You can read the entire page from wikipedia about music, but you won't find anything suggesting there is a music-free culture or people group out there. Even the most rudimentary forms of music exist where people do not have modern technology to produce rock and roll. Music must be important for it to have such universal appeal. Not only does every culture in the world have some kind of music, but music is enjoyed by people of all ages. Children love to learn and sing new songs, many of them taking the obligatory piano lessons while growing up. Teens can't get enough music and love it so much that they steal it every time they get a chance. Co-eds enjoy piecing together their ultimate sound system for their car, home or dorm room, and multitudes are trained yearly in colleges and universities around the globe. Let's face it, music is everywhere. Even commercials are musical, sometimes sticking in your head for weeks on end! (quick, what's the most annoying, least forgettable commercial you can think of right now?) All around us people are making music, learning music, selling music, stealing music... there is no escape (muhahahaha). Bring on the music, it is truly a wonderful part of life!
|
-
Lyrics for Talk Right Now (dowload here)
Copyright words and music by Chad R. Voller
i don't want to talk right now
i just want to disappear
so could you please leave me alone
i'm finding my way out of here
got feelings that i can't describe
from sins i thought i left behind
holding on in the corners of my heart
so won't you please just step away
i'm not sure i need you around
pretty sure i can do this on my own
down here in my misery
i've got perfect company
me and my sin, we feel right at home
but just the same, won't you talk to me?
just the same, won't you stay?
just the same, won't you heal my heart?
won't you love me just the same?
i find i'm at home with complacency
my mind made up, don't have to think
find comfort in the shadows of yesterday
sometimes there ain't nothing i can do or say
i'm not sure i can make a change
i wanna lay it down, but i can't let go today
but just the same, won't you talk to me?
just the same, won't you stay?
just the same, won't you heal my heart?
won't you love me just the same?
all of these days just drag me down
going under think i'm gonna drown
seems a cold dark handhas got a hold on me
in desperation can i fight this fight?
does the fire burn bright enough deep inside?
is there anything here that i can hold onto?
will the resuce come for me just in time?
i'm at the end of my rope, i've got no more line?
with my one last breath i'm calling out to you
just the same, won't you talk to me?
just the same, won't you stay?
just the same, won't you heal my heart?
won't you love me just the same?
just the same, i need you to talk to me
just the same, i need you to stay
just the same, only you can heal my heart
won't you love me just the same?
|
-
An acoustic easy listening piece that you might find yourself humming a little harmony to. :-)
Copyright music by Chad R. Voller
Check it out...
|
-
Some of you out there enjoy my music, so I'm posting some demo releases for you all. And by "demo" I mean very very very demo, as in recorded in a basement with no effects sort of demo. When I post a song there, I'll post the words here. Here are the words for Under (music and words by Chad R. Voller). Download it from the downloads page. Copyright words and music by Chad R. Voller
Under
Oh, Lord You have made us
By Your hand were we formed
And Your Word, it sustains us
Through the flood and the storm
And it's only by Your hand
That we are daily fed
By the power of Your Spirit
That we are daily led
We clamour for riches
We barter for fame
We sell our souls
At the cost of Your name
Father forgive us
We know what we do
Cleanse us of sin
Turn our hearts back to You
We're under Your mercy
Held by Your grace
Loved by the One
Who would die in our place
We're bought with a price
The blood of Your Son
Please open our eyes
To all You have done
Oh, Lord You have chased us
From the dark to the Light
By Your love You embrace us
And You clothe us in white
And it's only by Your truth
That we are sanctified
And it's only by Christ's blood
That we are justified
We long for privilege
For power and sway
We're captivated
By the world of today
Remove our blindness
That we might see
To repent from our sins
And to love purity
We're under Your mercy
Held by Your grace
Loved by the One
Who would die in our place
We're bought with a price
The blood of Your Son
Please open our eyes
To all You have done...
|
-
Music Makes A Difference, hence musicmad. For most of us, music has great influence. I recently asked a young man this question: "Which has greater influence, music or the written word?"
His reply was fairly quick, "Music," he said. Philosophically I disagree that music has a greater influence than the written word. I know very few songs from the 1st centry B.C. There are, however, plenty of writings that have lasted since that time. Nobody remembers the great tunes of the 3rd Century, but we have books galore. I think for the most part the written word will always outlast "music" in general. But music often includes the written word, so perhaps we have another line of thinking there. Suffice it to say that music makes a difference for people. It comes in many flavors and everybody has their favorite, but it does make a difference. People sing it, buy it, sell it, steal it, download it, write about it, make fun of it, you name it! Since music has made such a huge difference in my life, I intend to share my own music and my thoughts on music through this blog. To start off the new year, I'll be posting a series on Music Is ________________ with several different ideas. I'd love to hear your thoughts on some of these posts, and look forward to publishing my own album later this year. Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to join the community or just subscribe to the RSS feeds. Thanks,
Chad
|
|
|