Friday, March 9, 2012

Music Makes The People...

  • How does music speak to you or through you?

    l Does music shape culture? How has music influenced dreams? Eras? Generations? Movements?

    l Name a song or group that represents your generation OR how you view the world-explain to what extent the lyrics or artist(s) stands for something that mirror your conceptions of how you see things.

20 comments:

  1. Music speaks to me because I use it to explain how I feel a lot of the time. It helps me express myself without having to actually say anything. Music definately shapes culture. If you look around and observe the people in every culture, they listen to different kinds of music than us. And they use that music to express themselves and how they live. The biggest way music has influenced dreams is probably in the way of the musician. Music obviously inspires people to dream of creating that themselves for the rest of the world to hear. It influences eras and generations because everytime a new generation rolls around, its the beginning of a new music era. There is always a new type of music that has been created to represent that generation. A song that captures our generation would have to be "Seize The Day" by Avenged Sevenfold. The chorus goes, "Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost," I think that there are a lot of people in the world nowadays that do live by that, and they take all the opportunities that they can get, but there are also those who do not. There are many who just wait around for the end of their life, without going for everything they have.

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  2. Music speaks to me by helping me see the big picture sometimes. Whatever mood I’m in, music helps me add to that mood and helps me forget about the things that don’t matter. Music is my number one thing to go to when I’m feeling sad. I think that music does shape culture in many ways. Throughout the years many types of music have formed the people around it and changed the way they feel. For me, whenever I hear Frank Sinatra I feel like a hopeless romantic and get all happy. During his era, many others felt the same way too. During the era of the more grunge type music, people seemed more outgoing in ways to express themselves and their feeling. Music has changed in each generation in sometimes not the best way. I think that older music has a lot more personality to it and is much better than modern day music. The song “We Are Young” by Fun represents our generation. Just how it’s all about having fun in the night, being kids, and having no regrets represents teenagers very well because that’s how I want to live my high school days.

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  3. Music speaks to me by helping me relate to others emotions and recognize that other people know how I feel at times. I think music definitely in part shapes culture. It can influence dreams by inspiring or uplifting people to do things they might not have thought of doing before. It also influences generations, eras, and movements by reflecting what is going on in the period from the perspective of others.
    A song that I feel reflects the way I view the world would be "L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N." by Noah And The Whale. In this song, the lyrics that represent my persona and view of how I live my life go "L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. You've got more than money and sense, my friend, You've got heart and you go in your own way.
    L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. What you don't have now will come back again, You've got heart and you go in your own way", this best represents the way I perceive the world because sometimes life can really just get you down, but I always remember that things will get better and life will go on.

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  4. Music speaks to me by showing me the escape from the world. Whenever I have a horrible day or an amazing day I turn to my music to express how I feel. I play piano to express myself. sometimes, my music is very dark and others it's happy. Music shapes culture through the lyrics. I feel people act the way the music tell you to. Music always has a hidden meaning. Music helps people feel inspiration through its lyrics and melody. I feel like a song can push someone to do something if you really want it to. Up up and away by Kid Cudi is my all time favorite song. It helps boost my confidence. The lyrics "I'll be up up and away up up and away because they gonna judge me anyways so whatever," speaks my life. Where ever I go I will always be judge, but if I keep moving on up they can't touch me.

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  5. Music is one of the best ways to express oneself. There is a song for every single emotion imaginable in every genre, whether it is calming music with soft violins or loud music with a heart-throbbing bass. The diversity of music is phenomenal, though the messages are often similar across the differences in tones and beats. The artists are so passionate about what they play that it is often times difficult to not buy into their raw emotions. Music often divides generations and eras because it seems each new genre or type of music introduced into society is slightly more daring than the genre in the era before. But music also brings people together, for the emotions it elicits from the crowd are universal and are often easily relatable. The song “We are Young” by Fun represents today’s generation. The chorus lyrics are “Tonight we are young, so let’s set the world on fire; we can burn brighter than the sun.” This quote from the song basically holds the same meaning as the cliché, “the sky is the limit”. The words “tonight we are young” mean that at this moment the limits and worries that are thrust onto teenagers by their parents, teachers, society, and peers, can be pushed aside so that they can have a moment to dream and accomplish something great. This song inspires teenagers to prove to themselves that great things can happen when they dismiss insecurities and fear of others’ opinions and focus their attention on improving the world, because anything is possible with motivation and determination.

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  6. Being a person who listen to all types of music gives me the variety to relate to certain songs. Music is a way for artists to express yourself. Being able to relate to all different kinds of music allows me to have a different perspective on it. Music does shape culture because it has a very big impact and influence on what people do and how they think. Not always does influence in a good way, sometimes bad also. Rap songs have the tendency to have a more negative and vulgar meaning to it while others have a positive message. The greatest thing about music and the artists is that it shows people that if you really love singing and performing then you should always keep trying because it is possible. That just helps people push themselves more. One song that represents our generation is "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson. When something back happens and I think it's the end of the world it just makes me stronger in the end. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller.." This song shows people that there will be obsitcles in everyone's lives but there's nothing that you can't overcome and come out even stronger in the end.

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  7. Music is an everyday part of peoples lives. I know for myself and many others it is a direct reflection of a certain emotion, such as anger, sadness, or happiness. I dont think that music defines a culture, but vice versa. for instance, blues music is a direct relation to old slave plantation songs. when slaves were freed we start to see blues turn into an upbeat form of jazz and as life continued to improve, it turned into big band and swing. I think a good representation of today's culture is not one but all kinds of music. todays culture is a blend of people and ideas that cant really be classified into one category and is represented through modern music such as people like kelly clarkson or the fray, and people who still relive old, good mood music like michael buble.

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  8. Music speaks to me with many different emotions depending on the mood. It's a great way to get me going especially before games because it gets you pumped and motivated. It shows me different perspectives of people and their passion. Each song has its own personality based on its genre and lyrics. Music also have meaning behind it and the artist is trying to show us something. Music has changed in the past years as each genertaion goes by. It definitely can symbolize its culture by the kind of vibe it gives off which represents the people's culture. Music does influence dreams because it motivates people to start thinking a new way and think of new things. Also eras and genrations each have their music like the 70s had disco and now it is hip/hop and pop and it will keep changing as generations go by. Music does influence movements like the renaissance and blues. The song "Friday Night" by Katy Perry represents our generation because it symbolizes the youth. It shows how teenagers can be rebellious, but for the sake of having fun and enjoying life.

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  9. Because I am not one who is musically gifted, music can only speak to me. I listen to a variety of music because depending on the mood I am in I can choose a song with the lyrics or the tempo of the mood I am in. Lyrics are the words that you couldn't say yourself. I strongly believe that music shapes our culture. Music can place ideas and thoughts in your head that you wouldn't of thought of on your own. I think this is why some kids are growing up much faster than they should be because of the music they are listening to. Music often references a dream of a better tomorrow, so I think music helps people dream about what they want to accomplish/ living each day to the fullest. Music has affected every generation because with each generation a new type of music evolves. Music has affected many different movements such as the teenagers rebelling against their parents/ older generations when they listened to rock and roll. I think that Mac Miller is an artist that represents our generation because first of all he is part of our generation. Second of all he preaches living day by day and living life to the fullest which is a motto that our generation tends to live by. Mac Miller inspires people to live each day like "It's the Best Day Ever."

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  10. Music speaks to me because it allows me express myself in ways that I normally wouldn’t. There is always that one song that describes exactly how I feel at that particular time. I think that music is really important to have in people’s lives because of the effect it has on people. It can help people, excite them, make them think, create ideas, and so much more than just that. I think music does shape culture because I think that when a certain type of music is popular people look up to it and want to model it because it inspires them. For example country artists wear cowboy boots and usually live in a rural area, and people who listen to country generally live in rural areas and dress similarly to the artists of the music they listen to. It influences many dreams, eras, generations, and movements because it inspires people to do more and think differently than the status quo. I feel that the song “Forever Young” by Jay Z and Mr. Hudson represents our generation because the lyrics are “Forever young, I wanna to be forever young, do you really want to live forever? Forever and ever. Forever young I wanna to be forever young. Do you really want to live forever? Forever young.” I think this song represents my generation because I feel like everybody is trying to be young; they live life as if it’s their last day and they embrace the child inside them and have fun even if people judge them for it.

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  11. I am the sort of person who thinks/wishes they were more musically talented than they actually are. I am not an awful singer but I wish I was a lot better. Writing music is something I do a lot in order to get my feelings out and on paper. I love listening to music more than pretty much anything. I listen to all types of music and my interest in music genres has recently shifted. I think that the type of music you listen to really reflects the person you are and the person you strive to be. Music is a lifeline in all situations. There is a song for every situation of life. One song that I love listening to when I have had a rough day is L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. by Noah and the Whale. It has the power to lift you up and just make you realize the importance of life and how everything is going to be ok. One of my favorite artists would be Kid Cudi. His music is just simply inspiring and it helps me see everyday to keep pushing and be who you are, not what everyone wants you to be. Live music and concerts are a whole new level of experience, for me when I see live music I just get an indescribable feeling throughout my body. I can feel the music, the lyrics, the bass just pulse through me and everything I am is just poured into the song. I have recently found a new love for metal music. A lot of people don't like it, but in order to truly appreciate it, you just have to give it a chance. Once you can understand the lyrics, they actually have a lot of deep meaning and a lot of it is so inspiring to me. A song that I think really describes our generation would be "Young and Wild and Free" by Whiz Kalifa. Frankly, our generation is pretty dependent on having things handed to us and just being able to live care free and have fun. Personally, I don't think this is necessarily a good thing, but it is just the way it is. Music is such an important aspect of my life. Even though I can't always be the one using it to speak through me, it is pretty much constantly speaking to me.

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  12. Music doesn’t shape culture; music is a way for culture to express itself. Music influences people’s motivations, throughout time troubled or oppressed groups use music as a gateway out of reality or to send a message. The Harlem Renaissance is a great example of this. African Americans have been oppressed and rather than lashing out at their oppressors, they used music to unleash their feelings, emotions as well as messages to the world. One singer that represents my generation is Frank Ocean. A song titled ‘American Wedding’ a cover to The Eagles ‘Hotel California’ paints a picture of how my generation views marriage and how it no longer holds any real value in the American culture. One portion of a verse really speaks to me it says,
    “but your parents still didn’t know
    She said I’ve had a hell of a summer
    So baby
    Don’t take this hard
    But maybe we should get an annulment
    Before this goes way too far”. Throughout the song Frank Ocean tells a story of how this young couple in America gets caught up in lust and gets hitched. Also, he has a subliminal message that revolves around the idea of how American marriage is corrupted by money and the law.

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  13. I hear music when it speaks to me. I interpret every song differently because really good songs have meaning behind them. Every artist deserves to have their voice heard through singing or instruments. But only the best are truly understood by music fans all over the world. Each generation of people create the new sound to be heard. The music itself helps shape society and culture. Music can change people’s lives in many ways. ”Band kids” in high school work hard and still get made fun of until they make it big through music groups and scholarships. So if anyone has dreams of making it big one day, I say go for it because there is endless potential. If there was one song that represented my generation it is Angleface by Atmosphere. This song is about making the best of what you got. In America you have the freedom to express yourself through freedom of speech. Music motivates me to take up opportunities that will improve me as a person

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  14. I think that music to me shouldn't be about the next best thing or whats in style, and more of it should be important to me. I would rather be able to connect to my music then to be listening to something that just has a good beat. I believe some people may be the same way. The music that really drives you, or keeps you pushing on, or is a way to escape hard times, should be the music that we all listen to. Music shapes cultures and shows their past and sometimes what their future might look like. A lot of cultures see music as a valuable way of recording history and also telling stories. People write music to even get a point across or to show feeling towards something. This is seen in historical movements a lot of times to get the point across or sometimes its used by someone to make a name for them selves. Yet, in some cases, writing a song is abused. When I listen to someone like Lil Wayne, all I can think about is our generation. The audio tune and the lyrics that talk about materialistic things, proves how much different our generation is from other generations. Yet, this is not the stuff I enjoy to listen to the most. I would rather prefer to listen to more gritty stuff because I would not say I live that way but it is way more easy to connect to then audio tune and 24 inch rims. Some artists that really to me are seen as quality musicians are, Atmosphere, Deltron 3030, E-Dubble, and many others. These artists mostly talk about life through their eyes, which in someways I can connect, and in someways I can't. This is what makes it so good though, because no ones life is the same as someone else's; still you might feel the way they do and express yourself in the ways they might. Music is amazing for many different reasons, but its reasons are different for anybody who listens to it.

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  15. Music speaks to me in the way that every song tells a story. I love listening to almost all genres of music because I love being able to relate to songs in different ways. I will listen to different genres depending on what mood I am and how I need to express myself. I love the feeling when I truly connect with a song and feel as if I connect with the singer because I feel the same emotions that they are expressing. Music definitely shapes culture because especially in the generation I am growing up in today, everyone seems to live and breathe music. Different types of music send different messages, but music is everywhere and definitely impacts culture because of its significant presence. Music has influenced eras because people can get ideas from songs and want to become what they are listening to by the way they dress, act, and even speak. A song that I really love is "Underdog" by The Lost Trailers. The lyrics are very important to me because they express that anyone can get out of a hard situation and that even if all of the signs are against you, you can still succeed."I believe in the underdog, who chases dreams and breaks down walls...” This song represents are generation because people will always be rooting against you or hoping that you will fail, but in the end if you have enough perseverance you will come out on top.

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  16. Music speaks to me, not only by the words that are expressed, but by the melodies and sounds that the songs reveal. Music is something that no matter who you are, or what your background is it talks to your soul. Music evokes emotion. It allows people to express their feelings in a healthy way. Also, music can change your emotions helping you to calm down or get pumped up. A specific song from the past is like a bookmark in our mind bringing back a memory or specific event. Over time, music styles change with new generations. People feel passionate about the type of music that they like; whether it’s country, alternative rock or some other style of music, people use it to express who they are much like the clothes they wear. Although, I can’t pick one specific song or group, I really enjoy listening to Christian rock. I wake up to it every morning and the song lyrics provide me with a great mind set for the day. When I listen to the lyrics of the songs, they inspire me and give me a sense of gratitude. When I’m preparing for a big game on the other hand, I have a big variety of songs that I listen to on my Ipod which help me to focus and get mentally ready to compete. Music is a universal language that all cultures use as a form of expression. Having a world without music would be like having pictures without color. Color can make things bright, dark, or a little bit of both. Music does the same.

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  17. When I listen to music the beat and rhythm of the song gives off emotion and attitude that I can relate to. Especially nowadays, music can diffidently shape a culture because the audience allows the music to think for them. In this trance people are allowed to judge and give opinions based on the message and tone they receive. From that generations and eras are influenced and movements involving political or even personal issues are expressed to the crowed. This can also influence a person and give them courage to think large and do something big. In “we are the people” by Empire of the Sun their lyrics “We are the people that rule the world, a force running in every boy and girl” explains the recklessness and power teenagers feel today.

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  18. Music is something that I truly love it is something that I can express myself trough. I can relate to some of the songs and also the message that they display. The lyrics are like a story that the artist is trying to display. It is like a story but through song. Music acts a channel for current social movements that embody our view points. It also allows people express their emotions about life. I think that music if a foundation for how a society works. Music can shape cultures and how they act. Cultures can be shaped or focused around the music that is in that certain culture. There is also many songs or artists that write songs about certain things that are happening in the world to express their opinion on the topic. I also think that music is shaped around the era that it is due to the fact of how people act. One song that mirrors our generation would “We are young” by Fun. This song displays many things such how our generation is free living and does think things through.

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  19. I believe music shapes culture. I love music and i believe that it plays a huge role in society and people. It is a way for people to express themself because they can relate to what the people are saying. Music can inspire people to dream big and never give up, even though their are hard times you gotta keep your head up, just like tupac said in his song Keep ya head up. also when looking at certain generations or eras we tend to look at what music portrayed. like the jazz age in the roaring twenties, it was very up beat party music that made people want to get up and dance and party. well it is hard for me to pick one artist or group becasue i listen to all types of music from 90's hiphop/rap to punk rock from rappers like Tupac,DMX,Biggie to bands like Sum41, pennywise,and kottonmouth kings. but if i had to pick one song it would be Get rich or Die Tryin' by 50 cent or fitty cent. it expresses how people will go to extreme lengths and put out hard work to make it to the top

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  20. Music speaks to me by pulling emotions from deep inside. Music can make you feel a certain way that you could not experience in any other way. It shapes our culture by creating a common "language" or way to express ourselves. It brings people of all different backgrounds together and allows us to share one common thread in our lives.
    The song "My Hero" by The Foo Fighters speaks to me because it ties together anyone who has lost someone that meant the world to them. It doesn't matter who the person was to you, or to anyone else, in the aspect that now you have something in common with not only the person who wrote it, but other people that it speaks to as well. I think that is the true beauty of music- the ability to connect groups of people together with a single thought or idea.
    The chorus goes, "There goes my hero, watch him as he goes. There goes my hero, he's ordinary."
    Dave Grohl wrote this song in honor of his best friend Kurt Cobain, who will always be a hero to Dave. Whenever I hear this song, I think of my best friend Morgan, who passed away. Even though he was an ordinary person, he was extraordinary to me, and I will always think of him as my hero.
    This song mirrors my conception of how I view things because not only do I believe that anyone can be a hero, so do millions of other people, who connect with the lyrics in the song.

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