Muisc My Parents Listened to

I read a post on a bulletin board which got me thinking.

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/windcontroller/message/36269

I admitted that the music of his parents generation was better than his and his better than the current generation. Sure, I know that every generation is claiming that there music is better than the past and the past generation is claiming that there music is better and so it goes. That is not what I am saying. I am admitting as the poster in this blog was, that my parents generations music was better mine and in fact, that music has de-evolved. I know that Devo means something else by this but music has lost something.

I often try to soften words and I am not saying that I am a great composer but what I hear today is often, dare I say it, infantile. If it has any chords or notes (rap does not), then there may be only three in a simple progression. I am listening now to "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and I just listened to "Stardust". Both are great songs because there is a movement in the melody and there are a lot more than 3 chords. It's why jazz musicians don't look to Lady Gaga's songbook for inspiration. Standards come often from my parents generation because to put it very simple, the music is better. Example - Frank Sinatra - whom many younger people like.

There, I said it. Now for that matter, the poster said that Mozart was a genius but his music is "corny". Really, I have never heard those words but together in that way before. He calls Bach boring and says there is nothing really interesting to listen to in the world of jazz. He favors more brooding romantic music. His choice but truth be told, I think that there is something to offer in each of the periods of classical music and that jazz is far from having reached its peak.

I feel that for anyone who wants to aspire to music its worth listening to both classical and jazz. One can learn a lot from the masters. Why have people abandoned them? Simply because they don't want to put the effort into it and frankly, I place myself in that category. This generation and mind (although to a less extent) is musically lazy and believe me, guitar hero is not helping.

Sure, I don't have a lot of time but I can learn some theory and improve my playing skill as I will try to .

As for Lady Gaga being forced to take her clothes off for the big bucks. Well, I recommend a few people to listen to. First, Celtic Woman. These ladies bring dignity and style back to music not to mention incredible talent. A little Vivaldi anyone -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEf5JqUrSvk

Yea! I would love to see Beyonce sing Vivaldi - I dare her to!

This one is amazing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2QTIPChkfs

So yes, I am perhaps an old curmudgeon who I used to laugh at for talking about how music from their generation was better but you know what, it was. I guess wisdom does come with age. Thank goodness that we still have artists like Celtic Woman and others like Nikki Yanofsky on the jazz side of things that really bring a new dignity and life back to music.

So yes, in addition to listening to Tangerine Dream I listen to jazz and classical with a little prog rock thrown in once and a well. Nothing like a little Jethro Tull or Yes once and a while. There is something to learn from music music save music that panders to motives other than making good music and I will not name names but perhaps all that needs to be said is that all that glitters is not gold although perhaps its green.