THAT’S WHY They Don’t Make Music Like They Used To
Do you remember a time when you went through your parents’ vinyl collection and then sitting in front of the record player for hours? Heaven.
As least that’s how it felt. Or you sat in front of the radio with a blank cassette tape, waiting for your favorite songs to come on so you could record them? I remember those days, making “mixtapes” every other week.
That’s when music still was magic. That’s when they still made music “the way they used to”. But was it, really?
Well, actually we hear this complaint in every generation. And the words haven’t ever changed. Our parents said it, our grandparents and all the generations before. Music has changed immensely over the last decades, but still this phenomenon repeats itself.
Are we unable to adapt to the evolution of music or are we just plainly scared of becoming irrelevant? Let’s not forget, no matter which time, there have been and will always be artists who are more skilled than others. Meaning there’s “bad” music in every generation.
I read an great article by Oren Miller on huffingtonpost (read in new window) where he, amongst others, describes how he would react to his young kids listening to crappy music. Apperently he has a great taste in music and a huge music collection, but would it be a good tactic to really do a ”Good Music 101”-session? Kids are bothered too easily, if they feel like being lectured. If you listen to what you consider good music, and your kids are listening too, you are already doing the best you can. You’re leading with a good example. Kids learn a lot more from that than from lectures.
All that music from “back in the day” is still relevant! If it wasn’t we would’ve forgotton about it by now. It still influences all styles of music. Like people, music genres are getting mixed and by that more and more diverse. They doesn’t neccesarily disappear in their evolution.
More than that, the kind of music we think is good is still being made. We just need to take a closer look. Or listen. And not be “musical snobs”.
Could it be, that the way music is made is not the only problem?
Coming back to my introduction, I think a big part of the problem lies in the way we treat and percive music when we get older. We grow up and are busy with a life filled with responsibilities. Sometimes we lose sight of the magic in our daily life that music belongs to.
Music is accessible anytime and anywhere. There’s a constant overflow of “artists” that seem to battle for our attention, by any means. We don’t look for it anymore. It has become a product, which is being consumed more than appreciated. Music as an art form has lost value. The music business is complaining about that, but not changing the game on a mainstream level.
Here’s the good news though: Some still make the music you desire. Wether it’s classic, rock, pop or any other style in music, it’s on you to make an effort. Getting off the mainstream is a good way to discover new artists and songs as well as reconnecting with the music you loved from your past.
If you make that effort, you’ll see, it’s not that bad after all.
