Jazz: A Dying Rose

Jazz music is really fun to listen to. Most people associate it with "elevator music," but it's truly not. It's upbeat and lively, and most of the time, it makes you want to dance. Or maybe that's just me...

I used to believe that jazz music was just elevator music, and it was boring. Then I attended a jazz band program in 7th grade, and heard and played some really fun jazz songs. I loved playing jazz so much, that I decided to attend this program the next year as well, then in high school, I joined jazz band. 

One thing I have learned to appreciate with jazz, is that it doesn't need lyrics at all. The lyrics are the articulations, ryrhyms, and styles of each not are the story the song tells. And jazz can be left to interpretation. There is no right or wrong way to play it. It's how you feel it. I most like playing rock tunes, because they have a lot of fun repeating phrases that you can change around each time to find that perfect way, or to make the piece more diverse. 

Personally, I think the most fun jazz to listen to is swing. It's a very unique style that sounds unlike anything else. The notes are uneven, and it reminds me of swing dancers, which I always found facinating. It also has a lot of cool hits and sections that can really grab your attention. 

But unfortunately, jazz is starting to die off. It will still be around, but not many people still appreciate it like they should. This is partially due to the change of music taste, and availability. There is one, maybe two radio stations that play jazz music, while there at least six "today's hits" stations. I really think people should consider stepping out and trying it out. You might be surprised what you find you like. 

Piracy

Piracy is when a person illegally downloads, copies, and distributes music, without giving payment to the artist, composer, or recording label. This is really unfair to the people that put so much heart and effort into their music. It may be really easy to do with how much access we have to technology, but that doesn't mean it's right. Piracy is just like ripping off an invention, but it's not as physical, or widely known and obvious. Another thing to remember is this: it's illegal. You can be fined, and possibly even arrested for it, depending on the case. 

Music is meant to be admired, but not stolen. Stealing music seems like a victimless crime, but it's not. Downloading a song and not paying for it prevents the artist from getting paid for it. You might think "They sell millions of copies, what is one going to hurt?" But imagine if everybody thought that way. The artist would make very little profit from that song, and how is that fair? It isn't.  You could also be thinking "They're already rich, why do they need more money?" Well, the truth is, they probably don't. But making music is their job. How would you feel if you went to work all day, then pay day comes around and your check is short because people didn't pay your company or store? That's what it's like for them. 

This isn't a proven fact, but more of my own opinion here, but I believe this is why concerts and live performances cost so much now, compared to what they used to back then. Piracy is more common because of the widespread technology and easy access to it. The smaller profit is making artists charge more for their shows to make up for it. Back then, it wasn't as easy, so they could charge less and still make decent profits. Personally, I'd much rather pay the $1.29 for a song, than the $120 for a crappy seat, where I'll barely get to see anything. 

It's really easy to download music the legal way. The best way, in my opinion is to go and buy the album. This allows me to have a hard copy to play in my car or stereo in my room, or anywhere else I might want to take it.  It also gives me a chance to hear the album music as well, and discover songs that are t just played on the radio all day. Another one of my favorites is I just want to buy one or two singles is iTunes. It's super easy, and it goes straight to my phone. Then later, if I want to, I can burn it into a CD to take places or play in my car. You can also enjoy music for free on different websites such as Pandora, or Spotify. 

I highly encourage you to stop pirating, no matter how easy it is. It makes the music industry a better place all around. 

Song Breakdown: Locked Away

One of my favorite radio stations to listen to, and the one that I have been listening to the longest, is Z102.9, KZIA, Cedar Rapids.  It has been around as long as I can remember, and is very popular.  I went to their website today, and found their hot 30 list for this week. (Linked here if you would like to check it out. http://www.kzia.com/hot30/)

I was looking at the countdown, and one of my favorite songs currently holds the number 3 spot.  It's "Locked Away" by R. City, featuring Adam Levine.  (Video here is you haven't heard it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GUm5g8SG4o )  I really like this song, because I think it has a really good meaning, and its a really catchy song.  And who doesn't love Adam Levine's voice?

When the song begins, Levine starts singing the chorus.  It's asking if things were different, would you still love me the same? If I showed you my imperfections, or couldn't be strong, would you still love me the same? I think this is really cool to think about, because in my opinion, love should be unconditional.  It shouldn't depend on current situations.

In the next verse, R. City comes in and begins singing.  This verse is mainly saying "If I can't always be with you, and be perfect for you, would you still stay with me?"  I feel this is important, because nobody is perfect, and if that is what a person is expecting, they're going to spend a lot of time looking, and most likely come up empty handed.  This verse is also saying "Would you do anything for me, no matter what?" This is questionable for me, or at least my take from it.  It's a good question, because I would want my partner to always be there for me. On the other hand, it's asking a lot, and later in the song, R. City goes on to say he is looking for somebody that is low maintenance.  It seems sort of like a double standard in my opinion.

Levine's chorus plays again, then it's back to R. City. This time, he is describing the type of girl he wants. It sounds to me like he wants somebody who is low matenience, and won't expect expensive or fancy things. He wants a girl that will love him no matter what, and will accept him for who he is, not what he has.  I believe that all people should think like this, because situations may change, but people don't. And we should look beyond what a person has. You should love them for who they are.  

I really enjoy this song as it has a really mellow feel to it, and I like the meaning. I'm a sucker for a good love song, and this one has a good meaning to it. I highly suggest you check it out. 

Here's the link I used to look at the lyrics. Feel free to take a look for yourself. http://www.directlyrics.com/r-city-locked-away-lyrics.html

Being a True Fan

Often times, people claim to be a fan of a group or a genera of music.  Or they say they don't like a specific group or genera.  It happens all the time.  Sometimes this is true. You have listened to the group a lot, or heard a wide range of music of the genera, and you truly love or dislike it.  Many times, people are ignorant and write of something, only hearing a couple songs.

To be considered a fan of something, you need to have a good base of knowledge, an understanding of the origins, and know more than just one or two songs.  Forming an opinion takes time, and patience.  People pretend to be a super fan of groups and pretend to know so much about a group, but what do they really know? Their names? Their most popular song played on the radio?  In my personal opinion, I find that if I am a fan of an artist or group, I prefer their album music to the songs that are played over and over on the radio.

This leads me into the topic of super-fans.  The most common and widely known example of this is Beliebers, or Justin Bieber fans.  Oh my word, they get crazy.  some of these people could be considered fans.  They appreciate the music, they understand and relate to it, they actively follow what is going on in his life.  Then there's the crazy ones, that eat, breathe, and live all things Justin.  They know everything from the exact time, place, and hospital room he was born in.  What he had for breakfast that morning, because they should probably have that, and have plans for a wedding set.  They see that somebody posted a review of his song hat didn't say it was a song worth of the gods, and they get angry and threaten to mob their house.  They know the music, but they care more about the way he looks, and simply that the lyrics are mostly love songs.  They don't look for the deeper meanings, or what he's truly talking about.  (Fun fact: "Where Are You Now" is actually written about his dad.)  In my own personal opinion, these are not fans, as much as obsessed people that need something to talk about, and seek attention.

On the very opposite end, we have the haters.  These people decide that they don't like an artist or group after hearing one song, if even that, and criticize everything they do.  Even things not related to music, like the way they walk. (It's one foot in front of the other, just like everybody else.) They don't give them a second chance, because maybe they were trying something new in that song, or they don't have the experience yet if they're a starting artist.  They usually don't keep their opinions to themselves, they have to actively post and make comment to attempt to tear these people down.

Both of these types of people are annoying.  I'm not saying we all have to love all kinds of music and artists, I'm saying it's not necessary to be obsessive. Look into the deeper meanings of songs, and explore everything about the artist or group before you write them off.  And music and looks don't always match, so why does it matter what the artist looks like.  Yes, it's nice to have a handsome face on an album cover, but does that make the music good? Not always.  Explore before you form an opinion, and be open to changing it, because everyone deserves a second chance.