Music Snobbery... Shrubbery!!!

I feel like I should be a music snob because I play instruments and I'm a music major. But, often, I find myself jammin out to the popular music radio station. I mean, I seriously can get down with some hip hop. In fact, I've been on a Britney Spears run for almost a month now. But, I will say that I have a greater appreciation for artists that seem to really do it for the art. A lot of popular artists today are more business-oriented than art-oriented. And while I can admire Britney's success at knowing what the people want and being smart about it, it's hard to think of her as an "artist" in the literal meaning of the word. There are times and even seasons in my life where I can enjoy the catchy, poppy, dancing singles, but, most of time, I think of music more emotionally. I get much more out of an artist evoking a feeling from their music.

 For instance, a lot of people that I know would say that Taylor Swift is not an "artist." But, when I listen to her music, I feel her emotions. Maybe their cheesy, immature, and typical feelings, but they still feel real. I really can tell that SHE wrote it. I can tell that the song "Forever and Always" was written about someone who really broke her heart. Maybe it's because I know this information, but I can just see her coming into the studio right after the relationship ended (couple days before the album was released) and spending hours writing and recording it. It feels like a last journal entry before it's published and becomes a best-seller.

I guess that's just how I feel about art. Yes, some of it's bad, mediocre, and some of it's good. But, I'm not exactly interested in being a music critic. And most people wouldn't want me to be. Because I consider my little sister's song, that she wrote about loving her dog, art. There's no consistent beat, not much of a melody, and lots of repetition, but I can feel her love for her dog. I believe everything she's saying. Therefore, I call it art. That may be a bad example. But, oh well, when it comes down to it, I believe music is about feeling. It's about expressing yourself and connecting with others through it. I don't think this makes me a snob.

That's pretty much how I feel about it. Good talk.