EVERYONE CAN HEAR sound, rhythm, and lyrics. Some can repeat a simple melody but it seems few can do much more. Individual limitations, the population\u2019s overall lack of exposure to classical music and jazz, along with other social issues unique to our times have strangled musical diversity and, to some extent, creativity.<\/p>\n
An opinion I recently read may support that theory. It appeared on YouTube. I recall nothing about the writer, only his or her statement about Coleman Hawkins\u2019 unsurpassed 1939 recording of Body and Soul:<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI think classical music is boring and I\u2019m not a big fan of Swing style jazz, either. They\u2019re too old fashioned.\u201d<\/p>\n That makes as much sense as saying, \u201cI think no women were pretty until about 1990 because they look out of style.\u201d Or, \u201cI think black and white movies and photos are old fashioned so I only look at color.\u201d<\/p>\n The writer heard the sounds, the rhythm, and maybe on a good day could hum the melody of Body and Soul. <\/em>But he or she perceives only the tune\u2019s body, not its soul.<\/p>\n Most things consist of both form and substance. Form is the style, for example the body of a 1965 Ford Mustang. Substance is the intrinsic value, or soul; for example the Mustang\u2019s handling, quality control, and safety.<\/p>\n Whoever wrote that comment about classical music and Swing era jazz can recognize form but is unable to appreciate substance. The substance of music, according to my personal definition, would be melody, beauty, positive emotional content and, to a degree, technical execution. Form (or style) may have little to do with it.<\/p>\n I am in the minority. The writer of that YouTube comment and hundreds of millions of other people around the world also can\u2019t appreciate musical substance. If the style varies from what they and their friends listen to, or if it\u2019s from a different era or culture, they dismiss it as boring, old fashioned, or meaningless.<\/p>\n To make matters worse, intelligence has almost no bearing on the ability to appreciate music. For all we know the writer is a physics genius.<\/p>\n The industry that once created music now focuses mostly on visual imagery and rhythm. It has merged completely into the entertainment industry and profit alone dictates whom we see and what <\/span>we hear. The lowest common denominator decides nearly everything the corporate entertainment world produces. So popular sounds may be entertaining but may not fit the traditional definition of music.<\/p>\n No surprise, but isn\u2019t that sad?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" EVERYONE CAN HEAR sound, rhythm, and lyrics. Some can repeat a simple melody but it seems few can do much more. Individual limitations, the population\u2019s overall lack of exposure to classical music and jazz, along with other social issues unique…<\/p>\n