Is it wrong of me to...

from JoeUser Forums

So, a short while ago I was chowing down on food in one of those 'make a run for the border' places.  While I'm waiting in line a couple comes in with the female in the couple wearing a t-shirt with Gallaudet blazoned across it.  It didn't a genius to read that shirt and observe the couple discussing what they wanted to order in sign language to realize that the shirt was for an attendee of the University and not for someone that was able to hear.  Anyway, I ordered my meal, walked through the line to wait for it and fill a soda cup, and then sat down once my food was in hand.

That couple was behind another patron, so the male half of the couple was waiting in line while the female sat down to hold a table for both of them.  About the time that their number was called and the male started walking over to the table with their food, the in-store sound system started blaring some Justin Timberlake tune and the thoughts instantly fill my head that at least that couple didn't have to suffer through that as they ate.

music
1,469 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
So I know all about thou shalt not covet and such, but I swear for the duration of that Justin Timberlake so-called music/song I was sort of wishing that I could perhaps be sitting there unable to hear that no talent bastage myself.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
/signed

And I get paid to play that crap for the masses. Sometimes it's painful - because not only do we have to play it, we have to look like we're not sick to our stomachs while doing so.

This just goes back to a common thought I've always had - from the perspective of a steadily gigging musician. We don't let construction workers determine the best way to do quadruple bypass surgery on us, and we don't let doctors engineer bridges, and we don't let engineers argue our law cases nor lawyers to build our homes. So why the hell is everyone on the planet an accredited music critic?

The answer is because they confuse good music with what they, personally, are entertained by. It's a shame that they feel no personal responsibility at all to CULTURE to at least educate themselves in the smallest way about music before passing their judgement that Justin Timberlack (and others of his talentless ilk) is a great musician.

I was talking to an old bandmate (which I blogged about recently) and he summed it up pretty well. Person X says "Hey, can you play song Y?" To which the only reply for a musician that wants to keep his gig is "How much money you got?" Musicians have been turned into entertainment whores for the masses that know nothing of music. In order to survive, we'll "musically sleep with" anyone for a buck. Hey...we gotta eat, yanno? Damn sad that no one considers this or seems to care. We're their whores, and we'll play what they want us to or become homeless and gigless. No one but musicians truly see how violent that is.
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top

I just can't believe that (a) anyone enjoys listening to Timberlake's music, and (b) beyond that, that anyone would be buying such music.

I have to believe that if no-one was buying the crap, it wouldn't be getting shoved down our throats with tons of air play (unless the record company/producers were paying a lot of radio stations a lot of money to play it, and while that may happen every now and then, I would think it would take truckloads of money to get something so generally bad played so darned much).

Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
The main people listening to music are kids who don't know anything about music. These are the target audiences. That is why it is shoveled down our throats, which then more people who don't know anything about music think, "Hey, that's a good song" and listen to it as well. People who know about music don't NEED it shoveled down their throats, they know what's good and go buy it without the marketing.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
So why the hell is everyone on the planet an accredited music critic?


Yup...that's what I've steeled myself for with my upcoming CD. I'm sure it won't be everyone's cup of tea. It might not be ANYONE's. But it's mine. One of the advantages of being a 37 year old songwriter is you don't worry 'bout the critics!