The Blues Vs. Other Genres

Blues

• Authenticity: “The Recreation and representation of the origins of a certain genre and culture within a song”
• Authenticity: “The Artist must have had a reason to sing the blues”
  • Agree? What does that reason have to be? 
  • Does any musician have to have a reason to make music?
  • Do we care what the reason is? 
    • What constitutes a valid reason? Are some more powerful than others? 
• Authenticity: “Has to be about something depressing?”
  • Must the blues be about something depressing ?
• Authenticity:  “The message should have a point the audience can relate to”
  • Do blues artists care about the audience? 
  • Should musicians care about what the audience thinks of their music? 
  • Did those prison workers care if the guards could relate to them?
  • Is the blues pleading for pity? “Feel sorry for me?” 
  • What is the intent of the blues? 
  • If it is rooted in slavery, do you think you COULD ever relate to it? 

Country

• “Artist has to have that southern accent when he sings”
  • What is so important about the Accent? 
  • Should they sing with it if they don’t actually have it? 
  • Would this make it worse as a song? Worse as a Country song? (does that mean less authentic?
• Instrumentation
  • What is appropriate instrumentation? 
  • Why those? Where does our idea of the “standard” come from?
  • Authentic VS. Traditional – Same Thing? 
• “Lyrics Usually Tell a  story”
  • Authenticity  =  Is that a true story
• “Message should be about girls and booze”
  • Is this true?  
  • Why do you think so much country music focuses on the same subject matter?
  • Doe we Define Some Genres by their subject matter? 
  • Like if blues has to be depressing? 

Hip Hop

• Background note: 
  • Focus on PERSONAL Information that will have an impact on the career
    • We should do the reverse when listening - when listening, we should be thinking about things in their life that led up to that moment. When researching, we are digging for those specific things (instead of imagining while listening
• Authenticity:  “ Most of the time “Authentic Hip Hop Songs express struggles the musician experienced. Also, songs have a loud beat to them" 
• Authenticity: “Must be something they have actually done - not acting like something they’re not”
  • Does this happen a lot in music (people pretending they're something they'r not)?  
  • Should it affect our judgement? 
• “Pop. It make you want to move”  
• “They lyrics make you hype” 
• “Rhythm of music is a good beat”
  • Someone define “Good Beat”  
  • “Someone define Pop”
  • Someone define “Hype”
  • Instead of using these vague terms, think of what happens in the song to make you describe it like that, then just say that. 
• Nicki Minaj 
  • Background: Professionally known by her stage name
  • Signed Recording Contract with Young Money Entertainment in 2009
  • Authentic:  “Yes because all her music is known , she makes it stand out of all the audience to like it”
    • Is popularity, and appeal to audience a factor when judging authenticity? 

Relatability
Is it required that you are from a certain area to authentically perform it’s respective music? Possibly - but what about just to enjoy listening to it?  Do you have to be from there?  You must have some STRONG CONNECTION to it.  RELATABiLITY is the #1 Reason we like music. 


So then…….  How do we relate to music?  And What constitutes as a legitimate way to relate? 

• Fantasizing? Imagining? Idolizing? 

What if you relate to the PERSON , not necessarily the MUSIC? 

• Your best friend, From same hometown, From same country, Seems like someone you would hang out with, like how they look, like who they are etc. 

With an industry that is so focused on PERSONALITY, it can be hard to separate this from the music

• Take a picture at the Grammys and line all the people up : pharell, nicki minaj, Robin Thicke, Lady Gaga, 

Could be we blinded by relating to the person, and not relate to the music?
General Questions

• Does it matter where you are from (country vs city) when judging authenticity? 
• Does the definition of authenticity change with genre?  (if so, what would be our definition for authentic pop music? 
• Does authenticity matter when judging music