Cover me not...
By almightybong
@almightybong (186)
Philippines
February 27, 2012 7:23pm CST
I love music. I think it is evident in my previous posts. I enjoy it when some artists make covers of popular songs and they give it their own style, but what I particularly enjoy are new, original songs that are powerful in both its meaning and music quality. You gotta love the originality and the creativity, and somehow the risks that the artists, composers and musicians make actually pay off when people recognize, acknowledge and appreciate them. It is a bold move to make an original song. You don't know how people will react to it, whether they will accept it or not, and you can't be assured that the record will sell. I think that in itself is courage, and I salute those who put a foot forward and take that risk. What I'm disappointed about is that a lot of local artists and/or music studios opt to do covers and remakes. I mean it's okay once in a while but from where I am, a bigger chunk of music played on the radio is foreign, and then the next big chunk is local revivals and covers of either local and foreign songs, and then a mere eenie-weenie tiny chunk is the usually under-appreciated local original songs. I mean what is going on? We do have the talent, that's for sure I hear it on the radio everyday. But where is the originality, the creativity, the courage to take risks?
I think not having enough original music is just partly the artists' fault. A big chunk can be well put on the listeners' shoulders. A lot of people don't have an open mind about music and they usually just go for something they already know, something familiar. I think that this makes for why music studios opt to not risk investing on new, original songs. I don't see the logic though. I'm sure we are capable of appreciating original music, most songs on top of the charts are original foreign songs. Listeners should be schooled on appreciating local original music too. Our music industry is a dying industry, thanks in large part to the listeners.
I won't even get started with piracy.
2 people like this
2 responses
@sid556 (30953)
• United States
28 Feb 12
Hi there Almightybong,
I know what you mean. I have been listening to music since I was a little little girl and I'm 55 yrs old. I do not listen to just the music I know and love. Like you, I love hearing new stuff and new sounds. I have music going constantly. I do hear new stuff but what I'm noticing is a lot of it sounds very similar to what has already been done. I've recently been listening to some "dubstep" which I like some of it ...definitly don't dislike. It's different. Every now and again, I hear a new song that is really great.
@almightybong (186)
• Philippines
28 Feb 12
I'm quite impressed that over the years you have kept your interest with the new. My mom is the same and I'm just so proud that she enjoys the same music that I do. Other people is just stuck in their era and wouldn't entertain the evolution of music.
Thank God, I'm not alone in this. I was starting to think more people prefer otherwise. Thanks for your response.
@sid556 (30953)
• United States
28 Feb 12
Thanks. I guess I can really thank my dad for my love of music as well as an accident that prevented me from walking for a long while when I was very young. Being bedridden, my dad bought me a radio and a record player to help pass the time. At first, I only had his old 78 speed records to listen to. I was only about 5 so I had little to compare that old music to. Later on, he got me up out of bed to watch the Beatles for the first time on Ed Sullivan and from there just kept buying me various records of all genres of music. He did the same with my brothers who are just as avid as I am. I'm the same with my girls. They listen to a lot of what I grew up listening to as well as the newer stuff. What I've noticed is that not only do a lot of people slot themselves into a certain era but a certain genre as well. They are missing out on so much. While I tend to be drawn mainly to rock, I listen to it all because I've found some amazing music in all the different genres.
Your mom sounds like a cool lady.
@cyclopz (251)
• Sydney, Australia
28 Feb 12
I have also observed the same, but i think there is also nothing wrong with those who try to revive the songs especially when the song haven't been heard by people for quite a long time already. But i also think that it is not quite reasonable reviving a song that have just became popular for a few months.
Composing an original song is really a good idea to make an artist's trademark and music style although it would just be a challenge jiving with the taste of the listeners especially nowadays where we already have lots of popular genres being played around. Sometimes it is also hard to really capture the taste of the listeners because as time passes the taste of the listeners also changes.
@almightybong (186)
• Philippines
28 Feb 12
I love Boyce Avenue, and I love how they do covers of new and popular songs. I admit, they are the only band who makes me guilty of this. But yeah, I do agree reviving songs that have just been recently released isn't something that we should encourage.
I have mentioned in my post that it is indeed a challenge to be creative so that you keep hold of your audience. Let me reiterate this-- it is a challenge, not a discouragement, so I hope that artists and composers alike don't give in to challenges. I hope they take it. It's how the music is kept alive. It's how you preserve the magic that music brings into lives of people. But how? Pixar, an animation studio, is well known for their track record of producing really good movies for all ages. They are the ones responsible for creating high quality films such as Toy Story, Up, Wall-E, Finding Nemo and Ratatouille among others-- each and every film an original. So far they have made 12 films, 11 of which are all critically acclaimed and all of them did really well in the box office. Each and every time they risk showing the people something no one has ever shown before. They know how to manage the risk. They know the answer to the challenge. What do they do? They make movies, first and foremostly, for themselves. They create something that they want to see themselves. I think that in itself is a common knowledge. So that people will love you, you must love yourself. The same goes for the music industry. If artists and composers write originals songs and music they want to listen to themselves, then it would be easier for people to appreciate it.
