Music is Much More Than Voice

As I write, the harmonious “old timey” sound of Alison Krauss’ voice singing “Down to the River to Pray” washes over me. I thoroughly enjoy the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” as well as the soundtrack that I am currently listening to. I remember the first time I saw this movie. My brothers and I were invited over to my friend Andy’s house to watch, what he referred to as, a hilarious movie. I remember watching the movie and laughing; however, I remember also thinking of how profound a movie it was, and i could not get over how great the soundtrack was. Maybe that is not something that you think when watching movies but those thoughts often enter my mind. After the movie, my brothers and I left and went to Kmart and bought the soundtrack to the movie. I am not sure how many times I have listened to this soundtrack but it has been many. Songs like “Angel Band” or “Keep on the Sunny Side” can lighten any day, and “You Are My Sunshine” can cause me to slow down and listen again to the lyrics of a song I never, growing up, knew was so sad. 

I think people were surprised when they saw the the soundtrack sales. This was not the kind of music that most of America was listening to. But I think even more people were surprised when it won the “Album of the Year” Grammy in 2002. Other Grammy winners that included artist Alicia Keys. Not really from the same planet, are they? People had never heard this before, although this type of music had been around for decades. People liked it but i am not sure that they knew why. The songs on this soundtrack had something that most of the songs that they listened to did not have: depth, meaning, and soul. How is it that we ever got away from liking music that has those characteristics? Why do we allow the media and the music industry tell what we like?  

This is what I find happens to people. They become a teen and they decide that they are going to start listening to “Rock” or “Pop”; whatever, it really doesn’t matter. These young, unknowledgeable teens venture into the unknown world of music and get sucked into what the music industry wants them to listen to. Which, sadly, consists of “artist” like, in no particular order: The Black Eyed Peas, Toby Keith, Madonna, Clay Aiken, and a lot of other crap. The list could go on to included every “popular” artist out there. So these teens get stuck in the rut of thinking that the crap they are listening to is the best and the only music out there. the also get tricked in to believeing, thanks to shows like "American Idol", that only people with "good" voices are worth listening to; nothing could be further from the truth. I give you Bob Dylan. Enough said.

I understand this because I was somewhat there myself. I grew up in a family that did not allow anything but ‘Christian” music to be listened to. So when my brothers and I would sneak a listen to “non-Christian”, it didn’t matter what it was as long as it was on the radio and wasn’t “Christian”. (Note: there is nothing wrong with "Christian" music. just don't tie me down with it.) And so I got stuck. Luckily I had older brothers who knew some good artist but I still listened to a lot of crap. It wasn’t till I got to college that I really started to understand what I had been listening to for years. I owe must of my freedom from the trash I was enduring to Jared and Rob. They showed me a few artist and it was like coming up for air after participating in a breath holding contest, as a kid, under water. I have not gone back under since. it was like the scene from "The Matrix" where Neo is offered two choice, a red and a blue pill. One will allow him to experiance the real world, the other will a leave him in the lie that is being fed to his brain by the robots.

There is other music out there. If you find yourself hating the music you are listening but you can’t find anything else. Try these: Bright Eyes, The Mountain Goats, The White Buffalo, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, Gary Jules, Feist, and Brandi Carlile. Those are just a few that can help bring you up for air. Please give them a chance. Never turn something off cause you don’t like their voice. Whoever said voice was all there is to music.