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Ok, so now that I’ve gotten your attention… I’m supposed to be writing out a column to convince Jesse to take me on as the newest columnist. Some questions arise when I think about writing this. What will make me sound witty? Funny? Downright cool? And the answer is: I don’t know. I can’t claim to be the most witty or funny, and I openly admit that I was the dorky one in high school. So why me? Well, plain and simple, I love music. Especially local music. I do a website for a local band, and I love it. I love hearing fresh new music, raw and unedited. Local music is one of the greatest ways to be a part of the creation process. I know, that sounds corny, but it’s true. Hearing a new song at a show, if you cheer, the band knows its got something good. If you boo (which I would hope you don’t do, but….) the band knows that song needs some work. Don’t you think Chevelle had songs people weren’t too fond of? Local H didn’t start off writing awesome songs from day one. The fans, the listeners, we help more than we think. So the next time you hear something in a song that just doesn’t do it for ya, try (nicely) talking to the band about it. Fans are the greatest source of inspiration and fine tuning a band has. And just think. You may not be a guitar god, but you can help a band rising to greatness (even if only in Lake County ) just by voicing your opinion.
Another reason local music is so important to me is that it really helps to create togetherness in people in our generation. Let’s face it. We don’t go to sock hops, we don’t have sit ins, we’re not disco divas or political activists. Local music, local shows, they bring us all together. You learn so much about people you never would have guessed. You may go to a show and see someone you haven’t seen in a while. You may meet a guitarist, who has a drummer friend, who knows a bassist looking for a band. You create a group of friends with the same interests as you, and you support a creative force within the community that can do positive things. In Lake County we’ve seen fundraising events for loved ones lost in the community. We’ve seen bands show their support for local restoration projects. But best of all, with the positive attitudes of local music and its supporters, we’re creating an image for our generation, and image that portrays musicians not as “punks” or “rebels” but as real people with real concerns and real love and care for their community.
My point through all this is that I want to write a column NOT as a local musician and NOT as a fan of music, but as a proud member of a generation that, through music, is trying to help their community and their friends. We’re not here to make “noise”, but to express ourselves through music, either as band members, or as fans. So the next time someone says to you, “You’re in a band? Ugh….” and gives you that nose-scrunched look of disgust, remember that they may not understand it, but you’re part of something much bigger than just a couple bands screaming over a PA to a group of teenage rebels. You’re a member of a community of musicians and fans who care about what happens to their towns and their people.
Another reason local music is so important to me is that it really helps to create togetherness in people in our generation. Let’s face it. We don’t go to sock hops, we don’t have sit ins, we’re not disco divas or political activists. Local music, local shows, they bring us all together. You learn so much about people you never would have guessed. You may go to a show and see someone you haven’t seen in a while. You may meet a guitarist, who has a drummer friend, who knows a bassist looking for a band. You create a group of friends with the same interests as you, and you support a creative force within the community that can do positive things. In Lake County we’ve seen fundraising events for loved ones lost in the community. We’ve seen bands show their support for local restoration projects. But best of all, with the positive attitudes of local music and its supporters, we’re creating an image for our generation, and image that portrays musicians not as “punks” or “rebels” but as real people with real concerns and real love and care for their community.
My point through all this is that I want to write a column NOT as a local musician and NOT as a fan of music, but as a proud member of a generation that, through music, is trying to help their community and their friends. We’re not here to make “noise”, but to express ourselves through music, either as band members, or as fans. So the next time someone says to you, “You’re in a band? Ugh….” and gives you that nose-scrunched look of disgust, remember that they may not understand it, but you’re part of something much bigger than just a couple bands screaming over a PA to a group of teenage rebels. You’re a member of a community of musicians and fans who care about what happens to their towns and their people.
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