Introduction
A unit of music is often referred to as a record for a reason. In one sense, it is something made using recording technology, but, when approached on a deeper level, it is a bit more than that. It is a moment in time, place and history that has been frozen by the artist, or artists, who made it. These recordings appropriately stand the test of time to a certain extent. However long it lasts as consumable media, music will always point back to the moment it was made as listeners of a new day and age can experience it through the lens of their own time and space.
Music can be just as personal as it is communal. House music, EDM and pop typically are all genres that invite participation; whereas blues, R&B and vocal jazz may cause a pause for personal reflection. Either way, there is a never-ending list of genres and sub-genres that often blend to paint a mosaic that is to be interpreted by the individual or groups for themselves to be experienced in their own time and place. Music that can get a crowd off their feet may be great for a live sporting event, but it is not always ideal for a funeral – or at least most. A psychology study review written by Fátima Reynolds and published by American Psychiatric Association (APA) in August of 2023 suggests “music engagement not only shapes our personal and cultural identities but also plays a role in mood regulation.” Reynolds broke her study down by these elements by topic: “Healing Trauma and Building Resilience,” “Empowerment, Advocacy and Social Change,” “Fostering Social Connection and Support” and “Musicians and Normalizing Mental Health (Reynolds).”
In writing this paper, some questions I felt should be considered are when does music speak to someone and what determines that relevance across the lines of individuality when so many people are so different?
Background
The processes a researcher can take to answer these questions are limitless. After all, one’s path to appreciation of a creative work can consist of different considerations than those of another person. Then, as the researcher moves to focus a study, how can you responsibly zero in on a particular genre, demographics of social groups and periods when a piece was released and the context to which it was recorded? In 1995, Bennet Reimer was published in The Journal of Aesthetic Education when he asked in his article “The Experience of Profundity in Music” similar questions and felt that it would ultimately be unavoidable:
“We must keep in mind, when examining verbal reports of musical experiences, that we are thrown, by necessity, into the realm of metaphor, imagery, euphemism, figurative language of various sorts, because those are the only modes of language in which inner experience can be expressed. The ‘truth’ of such language is a truth appropriate to its subject, which by its nature requires representation by oblique suggestion rather than by objective exactitude (Reimer, pg. 2).”
If all these data points of an individual’s experience with music are, practically by default and definition, subjective, then how does the study continue its work toward anything final? The more viewpoints that can be explored and expressed through the researcher, the better the study is. Music is expression at one of its highest levels. Unfortunately, there have been a myriad of moments in history when an individual’s right to express themselves has been silenced, stripped away and disenfranchised.
In 1988, a few artists from Compton, California, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, came together to form a rap and hip-hop group that went on to call themselves N.W.A. - (N***** Wit Attitudes). Expression was the root of their art, and it stirred controversy nationwide - particularly during tense race-related moments in our nation's history. The controversy was nothing short of certain segments of the white population being uncomfortable with a message from African Americans being so prominently in front of them. One message was in the form of a song titled “F*** tha Police” in response to not only their own experiences with harassment by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), but a trend of tension between the law enforcement and African American communities throughout the 1980s. The general premise of the song places Dr. Dre, the producer and N.W.A. member, in a fictitious role as a judge in a court with the rest of the N.W.A. filling roles as witnesses and victims testifying against the LAPD. Eventually, Dr. Dre announces that a jury has found the police officer referenced in the song as “guilty of being a redneck, white bread, chicken s*** motherf***er (Jackson).” Jacob Utti of AmericanSongwriter.com is one of many who have taken a close look at this specific track in January of 2023, which was not long after the killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee. Utti compared the song and its anthemic importance to the protest songs of Bob Dylan. Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin" and "Blowin in the Wind" among others were heavily focused on social injustices in civil rights and anti-war movements. (Utti).
It was a great example of two diametrically opposing genres, rap/hip-hop and folk, to have something in common with each other: speaking up to make a change. You see this in all genres because in every genre there are artists who are passionate about their world and life around them. Expression through art can bring the artist out of persecution and inspire the change they hoped. It not only transcends but also, through the artists’ new platform, shines a light on the inequities, inequalities, and struggles they have faced. Approaching these questions thoroughly through textual and rhetorical analysis of various music recordings and any public thoughts on the subjects to be found online can be a great tactic to consider the art and the response to it.
What I Did
To explore more about how specific selections of musical recordings have affected wide audiences, and myself, on an introspective level, I investigated examples of popular music that can be viewed through various lenses to make an impact on wider audiences. Essentially, I wanted to consider the role that a passion or interest like music can play in one’s understanding of the identity or perception they have of themselves, their relationships, their time and place, etc. I did this through samples of music, lyrics, notes from the artist, critical reviews and raw testimonies from fans accompanied by context for the time and place the piece was written.
What I Found
The first song I have chosen for this paper is Paul Simon’s fourth single from his 1986 studio album, Graceland, “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.” The track was written during Simon’s stay in South Africa when primarily working on the album alongside musicians from across the world including many from South Africa that had been disenfranchised by Apartheid. Featuring a performance by the South African male vocal group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Simon tells the story of a rich girl and a poor boy through the symbolism of the girl “wearing diamonds on the soles of her shoes” as if to seemingly say her money did not matter. The female character claims that the boy was only attracted to her because of her wealth. By the end, they are both dancing with diamonds on their shoes as a “way to lose these walking blues (Simon).” Through the imagery and symbolism, there is an avenue up for interpretation to feel that this is not literally talking about monetary wealth, but rather emotional wealth. In 1987, Cashbox called the track a “sweet, ethnic and graceful tune” before going a step further to say, “The sparse arrangement allows for the subtle guitar of Ray Phiri to sparkle while Simon’s loaded lyrical political blast is laced, unsuspectingly, across the song by its placid melody (Padgett).”
There is plenty to consider here given the time and setting in which this record was developed and released. By working alongside South African musicians, who had been segregated to the extreme during the oppressive era of Apartheid, Simon provided an opportunity for the artists to not only be recognized for their talents on a world level, but to also be compensated for it. Simon became a subject of controversy at the time for traveling to create music alongside the artists due to many artists from the West effectively blacklisting the country until their laws changed. Writing something as poignant as a rich girl showing a poor boy how little money meant to her with contempt before he accepts and believes it as well while simultaneously working in a place surrounded by poverty and oppression is just one of many reasons why the record has become a mainstay. Simon responded to some critics rather effectively during a media event in 1986 to promote the release of Graceland:
“Personally, I feel I’m with the musicians, I’m with the artists. I didn’t ask the permission of the ANC. I didn’t ask permission of Buthelezi, or Desmond Tutu, or the Pretoria government. And to tell you the truth, I have a feeling that when there are radical transfers of power on either the left or the right, the artists always get screwed. The guys with the guns say, ‘This is important’, and the guys with guitars don’t have a chance. I haven’t said that before (Denselow).”
Over 4 years ago, YouTube user @markhoran70 took to the comment section on the official “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” music video from Paul Simon’s official page by saying, “Growing up in south africa in the 80s, this was a God send. the end of apartheid was at the end of the tunnel, but this kind of music showed us that people if people of different races and backgrounds could get together we could make rhythm like no other.” Thirty others replied with similar sentiments including user @kozmiknomadiko who said, “Yes sir!!! In Zulu we say simunye (We are one).”
The user who said Zulu was his native language commenting, “We are one,” is especially impactful here because Ladysmith Black Mambazo opens the song by singing, “Awa Awa akucwayelekile” which in Zulu translates to, “It’s not usually like that (Johnson).” Paul Simon, as a worldwide pioneer of musical collaboration, has been a pop cultural icon since his Simon and Garfunkel days in the 1960s. It is certainly not usually like that to see, but, in our days, we see communities form over the simplest of things. Even a short tune about a rich girl and poor boy dancing with expensive jewelry beneath their feet that can leave a tune stuck in one’s ear or an appreciation for a people’s culture on the other side of the world.
In the opposite direction of a 1980s pop hit from one of music’s icons in Paul Simon, the next sample of music I will be looking into is “No Hard Feelings” from their ninth studio album released in 2016, True Sadness, of The Avett Brothers. This album's production was filmed for the 2017 documentary directed by Judd Apatow for HBO titled May it Last, which shares a title from the album's closing track. Since 2000, the band has been led by siblings - Scott and Seth Avett as their name suggests - who share the lead vocals and writing duties interchangeably or in tandem alongside their bassist Bob Crawford among a few other musicians. In 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Derk Richardson interviewed the trio following the release of their album Emotionalism, where he asked how they would describe their all-around sound and inspirations:
“Seven years into performing under their family name, the brothers feel they've found the sound - the heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones - that allows them to express a full range of emotions and opt for honesty and optimism over irony and cynicism (Richardson).”
When I began researching this song, I quickly realized many, like myself, considered it to be the band’s best because of its incredibly tough, yet beautiful message within its lyrics on top of a simple composition that kept the focus on the words. The studio recording of the track was featured prominently in the documentary by Apatow as a crescendo of sorts as it led to an impromptu interview following their immediate reaction to recording the song:
SCOTT: That’s weird to be congratulated... to be congratulated on the mining of the soul... I think we need a little space.
[The two brothers walk outside]
SCOTT: The elephant in the room is that the song sells and that I can’t get away from that feeling for myself. I can’t get away. It’s not just that song; it’s every single song. And that it’s congratulated upon achieving and it – I'm deeply conflicted about it.
SETH: From a mental state, I think I compartmentalize the congratulatory vibe. I relegate it to just the technical. Like, all right, good job, you know? We hit all the chords kind of thing. I think that’s just as my go-to, so I don’t have to think about what it means to be congratulated on tapping into whatever the subject is, you know?
SCOTT: And you’re ignoring that then.
SETH: Yeah.
SCOTT: Because it’s there... I mean to say, “Man, that’s the best song you brought to this whole thing.” It’s like, Jesus Christ, why? Why is it the best? Not because of the technical ability of it, that’s for sure. That’s not- that's not what it is. It’s about... it’s the best song that’s the most demanding because it’s taken the most sacrifice to make, probably. It’s taken the most living to make. It just makes me equate it to, “Congratulations, you’ve sacrificed the s**t out of yourself.” Excuse me, “you’ve sacrificed deeply, and the evidence of that struggle came out in something beautiful. That’s a good way of looking at it, I guess (Apatow).
The song’s message is centered around a life lived – full of its equal share of mistakes and hardships to the beauty, people and joy that makes it all worthwhile. The official music video for the track has more than 12 million views and more than 3,000 comments from an audience who share their personal connection to the song’s lyrics (Avett):
The outpouring of messages in response from the audience is full of thanks to the artists for providing a channel to process their real-world examples of finding peace throughout elements of grief, tragedy and true sadness. Putting these powerful comments from fans side by side all the high-fives and congratulations from the industry professionals involved on the production in the studio that the Avett siblings needed some space from points to the effects music is able to have on one’s wellbeing and identity. In “No Hard Feelings,” the introspective lyrics lead up to the outro of the song:
The music industry held Paul Simon in contempt for ignoring a stand of solidarity against Apartheid whenever he went to work with and propel the talented musicians directly affected by the oppression. Individuals in the room for the recording of “No Hard Feelings” were incredibly quick to congratulate and propel the Avetts for their artistry without considering what it took for them to get that point. However, audiences, either on the surface or a deeper level, found something within the effort and execution of the pieces themselves to appreciate.
Why Does it Matter
The appreciation of any form of artistry, particularly music, will always be subjective to the individual, as Brett Reimer stated above. Everyone’s human experience is innately different in some way shape or form, yet there are ways audiences from all walks of life, cultures and backgrounds can come together for an emotional ballad or crowd-leading stomper. I believe there is an immense inequity in people not feeling seen or heard. Music has this incredible power to provide emotions of elation, meditation, closure, inspiration, anger and everything in between to anyone. I believe there are people who go through life without these moments of pure connection to a piece of music until they just sort of find the one. In the case of the YouTube users above - @ric5210, @SharekGadd and @amandamiller2432 – some can find that connection at the time it is needed the most.
Through communicating these experiences, one can inadvertently pass on elements of that subjectivity and appreciation to someone else by explaining their own through Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals to emotion (pathos), in the case of the writers of the artifacts analyzed and the audiences that flew to the comment section, or even credibility (ethos), in the case of music journalists and reviewers that audiences trust to point them in the right direction. To be open about a slight bias, these are two of my favorite recordings of all time because of their impact on my life and worldview, as well. D. Madhavi Latha Murthy, assistant professor, Om College of Engg, Wardha RTM Nagpur University in India, expanded on Aristotle’s appeals in a published study in the Research Journal of English Language and Literature, a peer-reviewed international journal:
“It is the speech that makes humans different from other creatures in the Nature. It is the speech that keeps our society function smoothly. Whether it is a speech, a narration, an instruction, a teaching or mere conversation we use words. Mere words spilled out of our lips may not be effective but they can be made effectually powerful with the help of Aristotle’s three persuasive appeals of Rhetoric. They are Logos, Ethos and Pathos. Aristotle proclaimed that with a right ratio of these three appeals a speech can be intensified and made as powerful as a missile (Murthy)”
Whenever a work of art can touch an audience as powerfully as a missile it is always worth taking a deep dive into. Knowing why something can impact and lead to such a monumental emotional reaction can lead one to a new understanding of themselves. This is through a process called music therapy that Reynolds detailed below:
“Music therapy has shown promise in providing a safe and supportive environment for healing trauma and building resilience while decreasing anxiety levels and improving the functioning of depressed individuals. Music therapy is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention using music to accomplish health and education goals, such as improving mental wellness, reducing stress and alleviating pain (Reynolds).”
There are an infinite number of music styles, genres, artists, etc., that are readily available at the tips of nearly all our fingers. With technology bridging the inequity gap in access to these materials from recent history, there is still an immense amount of work to be done in helping people encounter these pieces of art and discover what impressions they are left with. I hope that with this paper the importance of openness, expression and communities where those feelings and thoughts can be shared without judgement is appropriately highlighted.
Works Cited
Apatow, J. (2017). May it Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers. Home Box Office (HBO).
Avett, S., Avett, S., & Crawford, B. (2016, November 18). The Avett Brothers - No Hard Feelings (Official Video). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFGs7HP15d4
Denselow, R. (2012, April 19). Paul Simon’s Graceland: The Acclaim and the Outrage. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/apr/19/paul-simon-graceland-acclaim-outrage
Jackson, O., Patterson, L., & Curry, T., (2020, February 29). N.W.A. - Fuk Da Police. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZuxPKUVGiw
Johnson, S. L. (2001, February). Defining the Migrant Experience: an Analysis of the Poetry and Performance of a Contemporary Southern African Genre. University of Kwazulu-Natal. https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/items/60ee201d-6f46-4db6-ba65-c835d4589d6b
Murthy, M., Ghosal, M., 2016, A Study on a Rhetorical Approach to Effective Employee Motivation at Industries, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY (IJERT) IC-QUEST – 2016 (Volume 4 – Issue 30). https://www.ijert.org/a-study-on-a-rhetorical-approach-to-effective-employee-motivation-at-industries
Padgett, S. (Ed.). (1987, July 18). Single releases. Cash Box Newspaper, 51(3), 8–8.
Reimer, B. (1995). The Experience of Profundity in Music. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 29(4), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.2307/3333288
Reynolds, F. (2023, August 1). The Transformative Power of Music in Mental Well-Being. Psychiatry.org. https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/power-of-music-in-mental-well-being#:~:text=Recent%20research%20suggests%20that%20music,a%20role%20in%20mood%20regulation.&text=A%202022%20review%20and%20meta,effect%20on%20stress%2Drelated%20outcomes
Richardson, D. (2007, August 8). Avett Brothers Honor North Carolina Roots, but Look Forward. SFGate.com. https://www.sfgate.com/thingstodo/article/Avett-Brothers-honor-North-Carolina-roots-but-2548453.php
Simon, P. (2011, June 16). Paul Simon - Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I_T3XvzPaM
Uitti, J. (2023, January 30). Behind the history and meaning of the N.W.A. Song “F**k tha police.” American Songwriter. https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-history-and-meaning-of-the-n-w-a-song-fk-tha-police/
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