For our final assignment, I read the chapter titled “Popular Music and Political Culture: The Sixties.” When I think of the sixties, I think of the movies. The movies and the media have defined my impression of what life was like in the 60’s. Even though I was born in the 70’s, I am familiar with many musical groups from the sixties.
Through out all of the readings spanning from the 60’s to the 90’s, I have been intrigued with the connection between history and music. Specifically, how music was used as a political tool. In the 60’s music paralleled the Civil Rights Movement.
“During this period, then, the influence of the Civil Rights movement on rock n’ roll is not apparent in the content of its lyrics but in the ascendancy of black producers and black-owned record labels and in the appearance of black female vocal groups” (Garofalo 153).
These vocal groups were known as “girl groups.” They continued to surface and by 1962, “there were more black artists on the year-end singles charts than any other time in history” (Garofalo 153).
Phil Spector took it upon himself to bring many of these “girls groups” to their peak. According to Tom Wolfe, Spector was the “First Tycoon of Teen” becoming a millionaire before he was 21 (Garofalo 155). I found Tom Wolfe’s quote in our text interesting as I recently took a class on the literary journalism and I imagine that at the time Tom Wolfe interviewed and studied Phil Spector to write The First Tycoon of Teen.
As the “girl groups” began to fade out, Phil Spector continued his efforts with the Righteous Brothers known for their first hit “You Lost That Loving Feeling.” Their musical style took on the term “blue-eyed soul” (Garofalo 156). This was a landmark in the Civil Rights movement as “the color-blindness of the early civil rights movement was reinforced, for here was black-sounding music that was written by whites, produced by whites, performed by whites, and accepted by blacks” (Garofalo 157).
African Americans continued to struggle to make it into the mainstream and it was with this goal in mind that Motown came into the scene. As the “largest black-owned corporation in the United States,” Motown began to make a name for itself. The Supremes were one of the leaders and produced several hits including “Stop! In the Name of Love.”
Folk music also began popular. It was said “In folk circles at the time, there was a fiercely argued, if not terribly relevant, distinction between performers who were ‘authentic’ and those who were ‘commercial’” (Garofalo 163). I found it interesting to know that this was a dilemma in the 60’s and still is today. However, Bob Dylan was the musician who “openly challenged the distinction.”
Simultaneously, the groups from Britain entered the charts. This was known as the British Invasion. The Beatles were the leaders of this movement. They began in 1964, shortly after John F. Kennedy’s assassination. “It is noteworthy that in the six months between Kennedy’s assassination and the passage of the Civil Rights act of 1964, the Beatles’ upbeat sound captured the cultural life of the nation” (Garofalo 166). The Beatles quickly became a phenomenon. “In 1964 alone, they charted thirty songs and released six best selling albums” (Garofalo 167). I was surprised to learn that many of their songs were remakes and many were originally by African American artists. “Their motivation in covering so many African American hits was less to cash in on black culture than to pay tribute to their musical heroes” (Garofalo 168).
Other groups like The Animals, The Byrds, Simon and Garfunkel, and Sonny and Cher appeared in the music limelight. Their new genre of music became know as folk-rock. “Folk rock thus brought not only the poetic leanings but also the predominately left-wing political inclinations of folk music to a mainstream audience” (Garofalo 176).
This all was leading up to what I have always considered the 60’s - the 60’s that was depicted in movies like Forrest Gump. The “counterculture” or the “hippies” that wanted to make a statement of peace and love. The Grateful Dead were leaders in this movement, and “the one unifying element that held this myriad of forces together was the widespread use of mind-expanding drugs” (Garofalo 181). The Grateful Dead’s first organized “Trip Festival was chronicled by Tom Wolfe in The Electic Kool-Aid Acid Test” (Garofalo 182). I only have read a section from Wolfe’s non-fiction novel, but it is a fascinating depiction of his experience on a road trip with a group of hippies. He documents the trip and pretends to be part of their circle for his piece.
As the 60’s progress, many of the groups became more reliant on drugs and they have thousands of followers for their music. Some of the leaders are the Beatles, The Doors, and Janis Joplin. They along with several others appeared at Woodstock, which drew a crowd of 400, 000 people for a three-day concert.
Following Woodstock, the Rolling Stones hosted Altamont, a free concert, to conclude their tour. “The violence at Altamont reflected the deterioration of political movements and served notice of the counterculture’s impending demise” (Garofalo 198).
I mentioned Forrest Gump earlier, and I now can look at the back cover and recognize most of the artists. This chapter provided me with many names to connect with music that I already know. When I think about Forrest Gump, I think about how the soundtrack defines that time. It creates an identity of that period in history, through all the ups and down of war and political unrest.
Am I defined by the music I grew up listening to? How does our current music define our time in history? These questions prompted some general assignment ideas:
Assignment 1
Pick a currently popular song that you feel has a political message. Listen to the song several times. What is the political message? How does this message depict our recent history?
OR
Pick a song from the 1960’s that has been remade. Think about the meaning of the song in the 60’s. What do you think the message was? Now consider how the same message is relevant to our recent history.
Assignment 2
I would imagine that many of your parents grew up in the 60’s. Interview your parents or someone you know about their memories of the sixties.
• Write about their experience
• Was their experience similar to what you had envisioned from the movies?
• Explain some of the similarities and differences.
• Does this music define them? Explain.
• How does your music define you? Explain.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Music Review
http://media.photobucket.com/image/natasha%20bedingfield%20unwritten/rayfontofall/albums%25202/Natasha_Bedingfield_Unwritten.jpg
What do we look for in a good song? We look for a connection. In Natasha Bedingfield’s 2004 release of Unwritten, we can connect. This song not only has a catchy beat, it has profound message. A message that both young and old can identify with.
When the song begins, her first verse explains that life is “unwritten and undefined.”
She uses key phrases like “staring at the blank page before me…” and “reaching for something in the distance so close you can almost taste it, release your inhibition,” which immediately provide an attitude of “the sky is the limit.” The slate is blank and we can write our own story.
As she embarks upon the second verse, her lyrics continue to speak to us. She goes further to talk about needing to “break tradition” and “make mistakes” – both valuable life lessons.
Immediately these messages are intensified in the chorus:
“Feel the rain on your skin…no one else can feel it for you…only you can let it in…no one else, no one else can speak the words on your lips…today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten.”
The chorus instantaneously becomes more upbeat and again she captures the attention of her listeners with a sign of hope. It is clear that it is up to us to write our book or live our life because it is “unwritten.”
Our youth can especially relate to this song. It was featured in the teen movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. A movie about four young girls making their way though life.
In a culture where youth are under so much pressure to "fit in" and be “popular” we need more artists who provide pure songs our youth can relate to as well as more songs that couple a meaningful message with a hit song.
Assignment 1
We all connect to different music. Find an appropriate popular song that personally connects to you.
In your journal, respond to the following questions:
• What does the song means to you personally?
• What emotion does the song evokes in you?
• What specific lyric speak to you (quote them)?
• What is the message or theme of the song?
Be specific and use strong word choice and precise examples.
Assignment 2
As Natasha Bedingfield’s song “Unwritten” was used in the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants to strengthen its message, most movies have songs that are used to enhance their plot. Today you get to choose the songs to be used in the movie production of one of the books you read this year.
• Choose a book that we read as a class this school year.
• Consider the message of the book and the different high points, action points, etc.
• Compile a soundtrack for this book
• You should chose several appropriate songs that capture the plot of the book (make sure all of your songs are appropriate).
• Create an outline that details the plotline of the book.
• At each point in the plotline, insert a song that you feel would appropriately accompany that specific scene.
• Make sure to write a detailed description of each scene, the song that will be inserted into each scene, and a short rationale as to why you feel the song works in this specific location.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Celebrity Influence
Analyzing the idea of celebrity is not something I have spent much time doing. I know that celebrities influence us as a society, but that is the extent of my analysis. The article “The Promotion and Presentation of the Self: Celebrity as a Marker of Presentational Media” in the journal Celebrity Studies definitely shed a new light on the subject of celebrity.
I want to consider Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus as my celebrity. I have a 10 and 8 year old who absolutely adore Hannah Montana. They love her show, they love her music, they love her videos, and they loved her movie. They have grown up over the last several years considering themselves “in style” in terms of how they dress and fix their hair. Is there a connection? According to Marshall, “Celebrity taught generations how to engage and use consumer culture to ‘make’ oneself” (36).
Hannah Montana has a television show in which she is a normal teenager with a big secret. She is Hannah Montana, the rock star. Only one of her friends is aware of her secret. In the series, she is a celebrity playing another celebrity. Hannah Montana is broadcast on the wholesome Disney Channel. It is a family show with good moral messages. Montana is always making a wrong choice and then realizing that she has made the wrong choice and correcting it. Many times her wrong choice is to protect her brother or her friend.
I became aware of the power celebrity when Hannah Montana: The Movie was released. The premise of the movie was that Hannah Montana had to make the decision to reveal her secret and permanently become her true self, Miley Cyrus. She was concerned that she would disappoint her fans. My daughter in all sincerity thought that she was making a life changing decision on the big screen. It broke my heart to inform her of the reality of the situation – she is a celebrity making a living.
The celebrity image of Hannah Montana is aimed at young girls between the ages of 8 and 14. Initially, Miley Cyrus portrayed a similar image. Hannah and Miley captured the hearts of youth in Hannah Montana: The Movie with heartfelt songs like “Butterfly Fly Away”. Additionally, their music proved to be character building with songs like “Nobody’s Perfect” and “The Climb”, which was the culminating moment in the movie when she was embracing her Miley Cyrus character and leaving Hannah Montana behind.
In contrast to the pure celebrity image of Hannah Montana and the initial image created for Miley Cyrus, the most recent image of Miley Cyrus creates a dichotomy to her predecessor. Cyrus as a performer has evolved to a more mature young adult audience. She recently starred in her first young adult movie The Last Song. Additionally, her music has become increasingly inappropriate for her initial audience. For example, my daughter automatically thinks that if Miley Cyrus is in a new movie, she will go see it. She also assumes that if Cyrus has a new song released, she will download it. However, Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA” and “Fly on the Wall” videos are not aimed towards my daughter. Cyrus has transformed her image.
As I continue to consider celebrity, I realize that I always consider a celebrities influence on society overall, but I never think about how the celebrity establishes their image. According to Marshall, “Celebrities presented themselves in their cultural forms as performers, but they also were presented in interview structures and in celebrity gossip setting” (42). The concept of celebrities having a personal, professional, and performer persona on-line is something that I had never considered. To learn that celebrities have their publishers post their Twitter and Facebook messages and “are allowing themselves to expose their lives further in order to gain a following and an audience” is definitely a powerful way for them to connect with their fans.
However, as we continue to be influenced by celebrity in our society, we (as fans) will “continue to strip away the veneers of performance and publicity to find these true versions of celebrities…” (44).
Lessons in Celebrity
Students in today’s society are constantly inundated with the power of celebrity and the images that go along with these current celebrities. I want my students to consider what image is and how our definition of image affects their lives as young adults.
Day 1
What is Image?
• I will show the video “It’s my Party”
• After viewing the video, the students will write for five minutes about their impression of the image of Leslie Gore.
• Next, we will watch “Party in the USA.” Again, the students will write for five minutes about their impression of Miley Cyrus.
• They will get into groups to compare and contrast what they have observed. I will have them create a list of the three observations they want to share out to the whole class.
• We will end with a group share of the observations.
Day 2
Who determines image?
• I will provide them with several pictures of different people and have them try to guess what kind of people they are. Are they a healthy person? Are they a CEO? I want them to be judgmental based on appearance. I will then reveal the answers, which will be surprising.
• I will ask them if they know who Marilyn Monroe is. I hope get responses like a model, actress, singer, etc. I will have them guess what size they think she wore (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12).
• I will them have them guess the average size of a celebrity today.
• I will reveal Marilyn Monroe’s size in contrast to a celebrity today.
• I will ask them to create a list of the different influences that they think define image.
• Lastly, I will have them consider how image affects their own life.
I want to consider Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus as my celebrity. I have a 10 and 8 year old who absolutely adore Hannah Montana. They love her show, they love her music, they love her videos, and they loved her movie. They have grown up over the last several years considering themselves “in style” in terms of how they dress and fix their hair. Is there a connection? According to Marshall, “Celebrity taught generations how to engage and use consumer culture to ‘make’ oneself” (36).
Hannah Montana has a television show in which she is a normal teenager with a big secret. She is Hannah Montana, the rock star. Only one of her friends is aware of her secret. In the series, she is a celebrity playing another celebrity. Hannah Montana is broadcast on the wholesome Disney Channel. It is a family show with good moral messages. Montana is always making a wrong choice and then realizing that she has made the wrong choice and correcting it. Many times her wrong choice is to protect her brother or her friend.
I became aware of the power celebrity when Hannah Montana: The Movie was released. The premise of the movie was that Hannah Montana had to make the decision to reveal her secret and permanently become her true self, Miley Cyrus. She was concerned that she would disappoint her fans. My daughter in all sincerity thought that she was making a life changing decision on the big screen. It broke my heart to inform her of the reality of the situation – she is a celebrity making a living.
The celebrity image of Hannah Montana is aimed at young girls between the ages of 8 and 14. Initially, Miley Cyrus portrayed a similar image. Hannah and Miley captured the hearts of youth in Hannah Montana: The Movie with heartfelt songs like “Butterfly Fly Away”. Additionally, their music proved to be character building with songs like “Nobody’s Perfect” and “The Climb”, which was the culminating moment in the movie when she was embracing her Miley Cyrus character and leaving Hannah Montana behind.
In contrast to the pure celebrity image of Hannah Montana and the initial image created for Miley Cyrus, the most recent image of Miley Cyrus creates a dichotomy to her predecessor. Cyrus as a performer has evolved to a more mature young adult audience. She recently starred in her first young adult movie The Last Song. Additionally, her music has become increasingly inappropriate for her initial audience. For example, my daughter automatically thinks that if Miley Cyrus is in a new movie, she will go see it. She also assumes that if Cyrus has a new song released, she will download it. However, Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA” and “Fly on the Wall” videos are not aimed towards my daughter. Cyrus has transformed her image.
As I continue to consider celebrity, I realize that I always consider a celebrities influence on society overall, but I never think about how the celebrity establishes their image. According to Marshall, “Celebrities presented themselves in their cultural forms as performers, but they also were presented in interview structures and in celebrity gossip setting” (42). The concept of celebrities having a personal, professional, and performer persona on-line is something that I had never considered. To learn that celebrities have their publishers post their Twitter and Facebook messages and “are allowing themselves to expose their lives further in order to gain a following and an audience” is definitely a powerful way for them to connect with their fans.
However, as we continue to be influenced by celebrity in our society, we (as fans) will “continue to strip away the veneers of performance and publicity to find these true versions of celebrities…” (44).
Lessons in Celebrity
Students in today’s society are constantly inundated with the power of celebrity and the images that go along with these current celebrities. I want my students to consider what image is and how our definition of image affects their lives as young adults.
Day 1
What is Image?
• I will show the video “It’s my Party”
• After viewing the video, the students will write for five minutes about their impression of the image of Leslie Gore.
• Next, we will watch “Party in the USA.” Again, the students will write for five minutes about their impression of Miley Cyrus.
• They will get into groups to compare and contrast what they have observed. I will have them create a list of the three observations they want to share out to the whole class.
• We will end with a group share of the observations.
Day 2
Who determines image?
• I will provide them with several pictures of different people and have them try to guess what kind of people they are. Are they a healthy person? Are they a CEO? I want them to be judgmental based on appearance. I will then reveal the answers, which will be surprising.
• I will ask them if they know who Marilyn Monroe is. I hope get responses like a model, actress, singer, etc. I will have them guess what size they think she wore (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12).
• I will them have them guess the average size of a celebrity today.
• I will reveal Marilyn Monroe’s size in contrast to a celebrity today.
• I will ask them to create a list of the different influences that they think define image.
• Lastly, I will have them consider how image affects their own life.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Censorship
The American Heritage Dictionary defines censorship as “the act, process, or policy of censorship. They define censor as “a person authorized to examine literature, plays, or other material and who may remove or suppress what he sees as morally or otherwise objectionable.”
The American Heritage Dictionary. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1982.
This definition forced me to consider who exactly is “authorized” to censor material. It also posed the question of what should be censored. After listening to “Suicide Solution,” I started thinking about our last assignment on authentic music. I realized that I often am not aware of the lyrics to a song, but I enjoy the beat. However, a young impressionable teen is a completely different story. What if the teen considers Ozzy Osbourne to be authentic music? What if they are connecting with the artist as one? Are they then vulnerable to acting out the message (in this case suicide)?
I find that I have a different opinion on the topic of censorship depending which hat I am wearing. Am I the teacher? Am I the parent? Am I an adult taking a popular culture class? Am I a record company trying to promote my product? Am I the artist sharing my message?
With these thoughts in mind, I decided to consider the following lesson to introduce and address the issue a censorship in my classroom.
Day 1
What is censorship? I wouldn’t provide a definition until my students had the opportunity to ponder this question.
• I will have the question on the board and ask them to come in and think of one word that comes to mind when they are asked “What is censorship?"
• I will give them 1-2 minutes to come up with their one word. After everyone has their word, they will go around and quickly share their words.
• Once they are done I will have them write a few paragraphs explaining in more detail what they think censorship is and how they think it is used. I also will have them consider how different forms of censorship affect their lives.
• I will put them in groups to read and discuss their paragraphs. They will each need to highlight one thought or idea that they want to share with the class.
• After they share in a group, I will bring them back together and have them share with the whole class. Each group will send a member up to add something to the list on the board.
• After we compile a list of our ideas on what we think censorship is, I will provide them with the official dictionary definition.
Day 2
• I will provide them with two articles: one for the censorship and one against the censorship of music, videos, literature, etc.
• I will put them in groups and divide each article into sections. They will be responsible to read and summarize their section for the group. This will allow them to begin to become familiar with both articles.
• I will then ask them to think about what their personal position is on the censorship of music, literature, videos, etc.
• Their assignment will be to write a one page rational on their stance using the articles as support.
Day 3
Now that they have defined and read about censorship, I want then to consider this topic from different points of view. To achieve this I will have them participate in an on-line role-play.
• I will assign them a role to adopt for this on-line role-play. They will either be a junior high student, a parent of a junior high parent, a teacher in a junior high classroom, a school principal, a rock star marketing their music to youth, a record company promoting a product, or (since I teach in a Catholic school) a priest. If they have another perspective that I have missed, they will be able to talk to me and have it approved.
• I will post a collection of links that they can access to use as support in their role-play. They also will be expected to use the two articles that they read in class the previous day.
• Their first assignment will be to introduce themselves in their role. They will provide a one-page introduction of who their character is, what their character's background is, and how their character is affected by censorship. They need to become their fictional character and be creative.
• To help organize their discussion, I will provide different forum questions that they can go to and respond. They will be required to respond to a certain number of their classmates’ posts and they will be required to use the articles and links provided to support their stance.
I participated in something similar to this in one of my U of M classes and it was an effective activity. I think that the students are all heard in this type of debate. Additionally, they learn how to effectively use the facts they have found to back up their opinions. This would be a great topic to use for my persuasion unit. The role-play could be used as a pre-writing activity that could then be followed up with a persuasive essay or speech.
The American Heritage Dictionary. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1982.
This definition forced me to consider who exactly is “authorized” to censor material. It also posed the question of what should be censored. After listening to “Suicide Solution,” I started thinking about our last assignment on authentic music. I realized that I often am not aware of the lyrics to a song, but I enjoy the beat. However, a young impressionable teen is a completely different story. What if the teen considers Ozzy Osbourne to be authentic music? What if they are connecting with the artist as one? Are they then vulnerable to acting out the message (in this case suicide)?
I find that I have a different opinion on the topic of censorship depending which hat I am wearing. Am I the teacher? Am I the parent? Am I an adult taking a popular culture class? Am I a record company trying to promote my product? Am I the artist sharing my message?
With these thoughts in mind, I decided to consider the following lesson to introduce and address the issue a censorship in my classroom.
Day 1
What is censorship? I wouldn’t provide a definition until my students had the opportunity to ponder this question.
• I will have the question on the board and ask them to come in and think of one word that comes to mind when they are asked “What is censorship?"
• I will give them 1-2 minutes to come up with their one word. After everyone has their word, they will go around and quickly share their words.
• Once they are done I will have them write a few paragraphs explaining in more detail what they think censorship is and how they think it is used. I also will have them consider how different forms of censorship affect their lives.
• I will put them in groups to read and discuss their paragraphs. They will each need to highlight one thought or idea that they want to share with the class.
• After they share in a group, I will bring them back together and have them share with the whole class. Each group will send a member up to add something to the list on the board.
• After we compile a list of our ideas on what we think censorship is, I will provide them with the official dictionary definition.
Day 2
• I will provide them with two articles: one for the censorship and one against the censorship of music, videos, literature, etc.
• I will put them in groups and divide each article into sections. They will be responsible to read and summarize their section for the group. This will allow them to begin to become familiar with both articles.
• I will then ask them to think about what their personal position is on the censorship of music, literature, videos, etc.
• Their assignment will be to write a one page rational on their stance using the articles as support.
Day 3
Now that they have defined and read about censorship, I want then to consider this topic from different points of view. To achieve this I will have them participate in an on-line role-play.
• I will assign them a role to adopt for this on-line role-play. They will either be a junior high student, a parent of a junior high parent, a teacher in a junior high classroom, a school principal, a rock star marketing their music to youth, a record company promoting a product, or (since I teach in a Catholic school) a priest. If they have another perspective that I have missed, they will be able to talk to me and have it approved.
• I will post a collection of links that they can access to use as support in their role-play. They also will be expected to use the two articles that they read in class the previous day.
• Their first assignment will be to introduce themselves in their role. They will provide a one-page introduction of who their character is, what their character's background is, and how their character is affected by censorship. They need to become their fictional character and be creative.
• To help organize their discussion, I will provide different forum questions that they can go to and respond. They will be required to respond to a certain number of their classmates’ posts and they will be required to use the articles and links provided to support their stance.
I participated in something similar to this in one of my U of M classes and it was an effective activity. I think that the students are all heard in this type of debate. Additionally, they learn how to effectively use the facts they have found to back up their opinions. This would be a great topic to use for my persuasion unit. The role-play could be used as a pre-writing activity that could then be followed up with a persuasive essay or speech.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
What is authentic music?
After completing the readings, I have concluded that authenticity is a compilation of many factors. Artists being true to themselves, staying out of the mainstream, identifying who they are, connecting with their audience, and representing their culture or background is essentially, what makes them authentic.
In the article by Kembrew McLeod, he considers authenticity of hip-hop music in six different categories. Even though they don’t transfer over completely to other music genres, they do give us a clearer understanding of authenticity. The categories are as follows:
• Social psychological
• Racial
• Political-economic
• Gender-sexual
• Social locational
• Cultural
In most genres of music, artists meet the social psychological category of “staying true to yourself” or “representing who you are in actuality to the best of your ability” (McLeod, 140). Most musicians perform what they love with lyrics that speak from their heart. I find this parallel to the “voice” of a story. A reader can recognize an author by their voice just as we can recognize a musical artist by their style. For example, Miley Cyrus connects with her audience and passionately provides different messages through her lyrics that seem to resonate with her.
Another category that affects all genres of music is the political-economic category. According to McLeod, an artist is considered authentic if they stay away from the mainstream and avoid the commercial influence of MTV and radio. Ideally, these authentic groups would perform “underground” in local clubs, etc. However, many successful artists become victims of the commercial elements and are still are considered authentic. Dyer concludes that “it is not enough that the star is real; he or she must “act realness” (Pattie, 3). Therefore, it seems that the artist can maintain their authenticity if they remain true to themselves even once they become a mainstream artist.
Authenticity was also measured by social location and cultural influences. In terms of hip-hop music, this was considered being true to the "streets" and your roots. However, this can be applied to other genres of music as well. According to McLeod, “Constructions of authenticity center around, among other things, an acknowledgment of rich cultural heritage, a close connection to its audience, and a genuine expression of one’s inner feelings” (147). An example would be a country singer, who connects with their audience emotionally and carries their country connections close to their being. I will reference Miley Cyrus again. Her background and upbringing was as a “country girl” and her music captures that authentically.
It seems that when we consider the best music versus the most authentic music, we are faced with who defines “best” and who defines “authentic.” However, I think that these two go hand in hand.
According to Pattie, authenticity is reached when the audience and the performer share an experience together that is not repeatable. The connection between the audience and the performance is “real.” They are both engaged in the experience. Jon Savage reiterates, “This moment of transformation, where the boundary between the performer and the audience no longer seem to exist, is the goal of any successful rock performance” (Patti, 8).
Therefore, it seems obvious that each person connects with a specific genre of music that they experience authentically because they “invest in their own meaning, while still engaging in a shared experience of the performance” (Pattie, 10). Whether, they were at Woodstock, the Country Music Festival, or Lollapalooza. This authentic experience is completely individual.
When considering a group that I would rank as authentic, I tend to consider the longevity as well. It seems that if a groups sustains popularity across generations, they are more authentic. To mention a few: Abba, The Beatles, U2. I would consider these authentic groups, but I cannot prove that because, as I stated above, the connection that one person experiences is completely their own. However, I absolutely do not enjoy country music, yet I would probably agree that there are authentic groups out there even if I haven’t experienced the connection to their music.
The concept of authenticity was something I never related to music. When I initially started contemplating what I thought made something authentic, I immediately considered the longevity of the artist. However, as I completed the readings, I realized that I was totally on a different page. I kept this in mind as I considered a lesson I could do in the classroom to initiate the discussion of authenticity among our celebrities and musician.
I would first define authenticity.
• In the middle of a poster board, they would write “authenticity” and then in different colors write what initially comes to their minds.
• After each group has brainstormed, I would have them agree on one definition to present to the class.
• Once the class agrees on a definition, I would play several songs from different genres of music and have them decide whether they consider the groups/song to be authentic.
• I would again have them get in groups and discuss why or why not they considered each group authentic or not.
• I would then provide them with some of the evidence that was presented in the articles we read to help identify authenticity and then I would have them reconsider their decision from above.
I would follow that lesson up with the opportunity for them to find what they consider “authentic music” and then have them respond to questions proving the group/songs authenticity.
• I would have them provide a pod cast of their song and their rationale regarding the authenticity of the group/song. They would have to convince us that it was authentic. They would have to explain why they think so, consider if the media has played a role in their decision, etc.
• I also think it would be beneficial for them to discuss their thoughts with others, so I may have them each listen to and respond to two other students.
In the article by Kembrew McLeod, he considers authenticity of hip-hop music in six different categories. Even though they don’t transfer over completely to other music genres, they do give us a clearer understanding of authenticity. The categories are as follows:
• Social psychological
• Racial
• Political-economic
• Gender-sexual
• Social locational
• Cultural
In most genres of music, artists meet the social psychological category of “staying true to yourself” or “representing who you are in actuality to the best of your ability” (McLeod, 140). Most musicians perform what they love with lyrics that speak from their heart. I find this parallel to the “voice” of a story. A reader can recognize an author by their voice just as we can recognize a musical artist by their style. For example, Miley Cyrus connects with her audience and passionately provides different messages through her lyrics that seem to resonate with her.
Another category that affects all genres of music is the political-economic category. According to McLeod, an artist is considered authentic if they stay away from the mainstream and avoid the commercial influence of MTV and radio. Ideally, these authentic groups would perform “underground” in local clubs, etc. However, many successful artists become victims of the commercial elements and are still are considered authentic. Dyer concludes that “it is not enough that the star is real; he or she must “act realness” (Pattie, 3). Therefore, it seems that the artist can maintain their authenticity if they remain true to themselves even once they become a mainstream artist.
Authenticity was also measured by social location and cultural influences. In terms of hip-hop music, this was considered being true to the "streets" and your roots. However, this can be applied to other genres of music as well. According to McLeod, “Constructions of authenticity center around, among other things, an acknowledgment of rich cultural heritage, a close connection to its audience, and a genuine expression of one’s inner feelings” (147). An example would be a country singer, who connects with their audience emotionally and carries their country connections close to their being. I will reference Miley Cyrus again. Her background and upbringing was as a “country girl” and her music captures that authentically.
It seems that when we consider the best music versus the most authentic music, we are faced with who defines “best” and who defines “authentic.” However, I think that these two go hand in hand.
According to Pattie, authenticity is reached when the audience and the performer share an experience together that is not repeatable. The connection between the audience and the performance is “real.” They are both engaged in the experience. Jon Savage reiterates, “This moment of transformation, where the boundary between the performer and the audience no longer seem to exist, is the goal of any successful rock performance” (Patti, 8).
Therefore, it seems obvious that each person connects with a specific genre of music that they experience authentically because they “invest in their own meaning, while still engaging in a shared experience of the performance” (Pattie, 10). Whether, they were at Woodstock, the Country Music Festival, or Lollapalooza. This authentic experience is completely individual.
When considering a group that I would rank as authentic, I tend to consider the longevity as well. It seems that if a groups sustains popularity across generations, they are more authentic. To mention a few: Abba, The Beatles, U2. I would consider these authentic groups, but I cannot prove that because, as I stated above, the connection that one person experiences is completely their own. However, I absolutely do not enjoy country music, yet I would probably agree that there are authentic groups out there even if I haven’t experienced the connection to their music.
The concept of authenticity was something I never related to music. When I initially started contemplating what I thought made something authentic, I immediately considered the longevity of the artist. However, as I completed the readings, I realized that I was totally on a different page. I kept this in mind as I considered a lesson I could do in the classroom to initiate the discussion of authenticity among our celebrities and musician.
I would first define authenticity.
• In the middle of a poster board, they would write “authenticity” and then in different colors write what initially comes to their minds.
• After each group has brainstormed, I would have them agree on one definition to present to the class.
• Once the class agrees on a definition, I would play several songs from different genres of music and have them decide whether they consider the groups/song to be authentic.
• I would again have them get in groups and discuss why or why not they considered each group authentic or not.
• I would then provide them with some of the evidence that was presented in the articles we read to help identify authenticity and then I would have them reconsider their decision from above.
I would follow that lesson up with the opportunity for them to find what they consider “authentic music” and then have them respond to questions proving the group/songs authenticity.
• I would have them provide a pod cast of their song and their rationale regarding the authenticity of the group/song. They would have to convince us that it was authentic. They would have to explain why they think so, consider if the media has played a role in their decision, etc.
• I also think it would be beneficial for them to discuss their thoughts with others, so I may have them each listen to and respond to two other students.
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