MUSC 291 Week 2

In week 2 of MUSC 291, I read multiple readings that dealt with music as conveying meaningful messages instead of just "music for music's sake." We discussed Hans Eisler in class, and after reading some of his work, it became apparent to me that he made music for a definite purpose. Throughout his essay "Labor, Labor Movement, and Music," Eisler addresses this notion of "making art for art's sake" instead  of putting thought behind it.
He details the work of several well known composers (Beethoven, Mozart) and some lesser known ones (Schumann, Liszt, Brahms) to expose how true music should be made. He says their works conveyed passion and intricate thought processes, but they were also accessible to the public.
In Joy H. Calico's "Hans Eisler, Marxist Polygot," she examines Eisler's strides in going off of the example he was given by his predecessors. Eisler differed in his music by the message he conveyed: his music reflected his Marxist ideology. This made his music political. Calico describes his ideas as controversial, as she notes many universities' attempt at an Eisler ban in classes, but she stresses how important Eisler is in understanding music. She talks about Eisler as a "polygot" meaning that he can alternate and balance his musical genius with creating tunes that are accessible to a casual fan. She references "To A Little Radio" (which we listened to in class) as a great example for exemplifying this balance. 
I found it interesting how the concerns Eisler presented about music (music for the sake of music without meaning) are still extremely prevalent in today's music scene.
I've especially noticed "music for the sake of music" in popular country music. Gone are the days of Garth Brooks and George Strait, when the leaders of the genre told stories about life that related to the listener. Even modern-day storytellers in country music like Eric Church are taking a backseat to artists like Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan, literally known for making songs about bars and trucks without much substance.
Take a look at the lyrics from "This Is How We Roll" by Florida Georgia Line featuring Luke Bryan (yes, these two artists collaborated to make one of the worst country songs of the last decade):

"The mixtape's got a little Hank, little Drake

A little something bumping, thump, thumping on the wheel ride
The mix in our drink's a little stronger than you think
So get a grip, take a sip of that feel right
The truck's jacked up, flatbed's flipped back
Yeah, you can find us where the party's at"

Notice how nothing happens in these lyrics. We're given no context to where they are or who they are interacting with, only that there is a truck and alcohol present. We aren't even told "where the party's at." We are told from there that "this is how [they] roll" in the chorus. Once again, this gives little information into what that even means. 

Compare that to the lyrics Eric Church's "A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young":

"I like fast cars and sharp dreams

Chased a lot of crazy things
Left behind my share of broken pieces
This morning I turned 36,
When you just remember half of it
You wonder how you outlived Hank and Jesus

[Chorus]
I put the rage in a river, the roll in a thunder
But you kept me from goin' under,
When that current got too heavy
I always thought I'd be a heap of metal
In a cloud of smoke, foot stuck to the pedal
Sold for parts like a junkyard rusted-out Chevy
Fear, I've had none
What the hell made you wanna love
A man who was gonna die young"

The lyrics draw interesting imagery. Church mentions his love for fast cars and then uses that to construct a metaphor of the crazy lifestyle of his younger days. He continues the metaphor, saying he expected his life to be similar to a broken down Chevy. The song shows profound reflection on his life, as he questions how his wife could love a man as broken as him. And for some reason, in today's pop culture, true, pensive lyrics like this can't gain the same popularity as "the mix in our drank's a little stronger than you thank." It's crazy. I know these examples are far from political, but they still illustrate the points that Eisler outlined in his essay.

Florida Georgia Line's "This Is How We Roll":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v0_oozGz0w

Eric Church's "A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young":

Musc 291 Week 1

In week 1, one of the readings we covered was Thomas Turino's "Music and the Civil Rights Movement in the United States."

The article covered the notion of "Freedom Songs" that emerged from African Americans in the 1960s. Turino focused part of his attention in this article on the peaceful protest elements of certain songs. Some songs did  not necessarily possess calls to action as much as they delivered messages of optimism and hope. "We Shall Overcome" was a primary example. There were no war-like words sung in the words, but instead the lyrics provided encouragement. The words "we shall overcome" are repeated soothingly, and the hope that the lyrics convey are strengthened by the words "deep in my heart / I do believe." 

Artists would often use call and response techniques in these freedom songs in order to evoke feelings of unity from the listeners. When everybody repeated the same words together, of course that created a bond among those who sang the songs. They bonded in the belief that troubles would end and freedom would be attained. 

Yet--as Turino later describes--not everybody shared the same optimism. Towards the end of the 60s, artists moved away from peaceful songs into more fiery songs that conveyed the same message. For example, James Brown's "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" implemented an attitude that essentially said "I won't be a doormat" when it comes to civil rights. Brown did not believe that being pacifistic would lead to equality for his people. He did not want to remain inactive. "Say It Loud" was written to be an anthem during a time of oppression for African Americans. Brown's raspy voice gives the song the feel of a political rally where he serves as the passionate leader. He too employs call and response in the song, which lets the listener know he is not alone in his cause.

A newer version of "We Shall Overcome":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aor6-DkzBJ0