Music is enjoyed by everyone, but opinion on what defines music aesthetics greatly varies. As stated by Sellnow “Music as aesthetic expression, or musical aesthetics, is essentially the appreciation and evaluation of musical form or design. Some argue that music appreciation is achieved if one simply enjoys listening to the music” (Sellnow, pp. 170) . While Kivy believes that “one must be able to evaluate what they hear not only for its beauty but also for its authenticity based on well-defined aesthetic criteria for music of a given era (e.g., Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic)” (Kivy, 1995). I can see both arguments but at the end of the day I tend to agree with the quote from Kivy more. There are dangers with not evaluating the music that you listen to on a deeper level.
If you listen to music and take it at face value without evaluating the lyrics you may be missing out on the actual message being transmitted. If you are not taking the time to evaluate the lyrics behind a song then you could be supporting a cause passively that you would not normally support. I admit that some songs are straightforward and do not take much time to understand what message they are trying to convey but others require some time and effort to understand. A great example of this is the song Pumped up Kicks by Foster the People. This song's tone sounds happy but the lyrics are quite dark, “He found a six-shooter gun. In his dad's closet, and with a box of fun things. I don't even know what. But he's coming for you, yeah, he's coming for you”. This song's lyrics describe a troubled child who found a gun and is fantasizing about violence. I think it is important to take a closer look at the songs that we hold so dear. Only once we understand the messaging of songs can we make an informed decision to continue to listen.
Do you take into consideration the subtle, or sometimes not so subtle, messaging in a song before playing it on a speaker in a public setting? Does the age of the people around you play a factor in your decision?
I appreciate this perspective and have found myself to be more aware of messaging and deeper meaning. Yes, the age of others around me has played a part in my listening choices but more than that I've been influenced by my own age. I practice meditation and yoga, which increases my awareness of the environment and empowers me to make necessary adjustments that support well being. The quote from Kivy that “one must be able to evaluate what they hear not only for its beauty but also for its authenticity based on well-defined aesthetic criteria for music of a given era," reminds me of the era we exist in currently where violence has been normalized.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking to your second question, the age of people around me does impact music selections. I am an Education Specialist for middle school students and have a heightened awareness of lyrics and subtle meanings, specifically where violence is concerned. My students often have suicidal ideation and will grab any subtle messaging to amplify the suicidal thoughts. This makes analysis of messaging and lyrics crucial to maintaining a positive environment.