Originally Posted By: edshaw
Hear to Learn:
If you should see this post, you remarked there
is a lot going on in music, today. I'd like
to hear your summary on that, and where you might
think it is going.
By the way, one factor that has not been mentioned
much is the digital revolution.


Hey Ed, sorry it took a bit to respond. It's not because my response is something profound and earth shattering. I've just been busy as heck. When business is good; my hobbies suffer.

Anyway, I'm not even going to pretend I know where it's all going; or what's coming. I know I haven't officially been with a band in probably 10 years. It was a country band. When I left the band; they were talking about how "country is going a lot more old school. It's going to be a lot less rock." That couldn't have been more wrong. It grew in a huge way because of the demand for it. More pop, rock, rap, blues, AND even a little more traditional country has been added in.

For me, country has always been a mixed bag. I grew up on all sorts of music; with more of a family focus on country. I love pop and rock; but listened to a lot of The Oak Ridge Boys, The Statler Brothers, Ronnie Milsap, then eventually Alabama just to name a few. I heard more complaining from my Grand Parents generation about how awful Alabama was. The drums were too loud and it was not country. It was that damn rock music with a fiddle. As everyone has pointed out; it's been going on for a while.

I can't help but laugh when people point to a current artist who is making it and sounds more like "how country should sound." You can say that every single year. But, the bottom line is; country is really, really big right now. When something gets that big; there is usually people that push back eventually. So, we'll see. What gets made in mass is what the masses want to consume.

Something I've observed; that I feel is has a lot to do with country being as big as it is is people that grew up in the 70's and 80's heard a fair amount of country music that seemed slow, "tear in my beer" kind of music. Simultaneously, they had a lot of rock bands, like Kiss, that had a lot of upbeat party music, and of course, track #4 was typically the power ballad. That lasted for a while; but also got a bit old as time when on. It had a pretty good run though. Parents didn't care for it; but the kids ate it up.

Flash forward to the 90's country to now. We had a strange series of events happen. Rock started to become darker and a lot less fun. Country started to be a lot less "tear in my beer" and more more fun. Paraphrase Garth "I could sing like the rock bands; but I could sing country. So I wanted to bring a rock show like Kiss has to country music."

To me, that all set up a unique opportunity. You had kids who are hearing upbeat music with more of a party feel and ballads that mean something to where they are in life. Simultaneously you had their parents hearing enough of what they loved in their youth BUT in a way that was different enough that it was "new." Talk about a recipe for A LOT of fans! It's pretty crazy when you think of how you have kids AND their parents loving the same music. Of course, Grandmas and Grandpas still didn't care much for it, which was fine with the fan base. It's not like when older people complain about the music kids like these days the kids think "oh! Ok! I'll stop liking it then. Since yours is so much better; that is what I will listen to instead." It just doesn't happen.

So for where it's going. I think today's current country COULD be a bridge to what came before. It depends a lot on a generation that really couldn't give a #%^$ what kids like. To me there is nothing cooler than when you see someone full of knowledge and experience try to understand what kids like, RELATE TO THEM FIRST, then expose them to what came before. I've seen enough times and can't help but respect a person of that character. There are a number of members on this site that have brought me to some amazing music that I would not have known of but for their influence on me. I take that and have conversations with my kids and have them hear it as well. What a great connecting point if you take advantage of what's right there.

Country is going to continue to evolve without a doubt. There are so many influences coming from so many angles that I can't wait to see where it goes. For me it's exciting. Old, new, modern, traditional...to me there's room for all AND the crossing over that happens.

That was a really long answer that really didn't answer anything. lol. Thanks again for starting the thread. I'm seeing a bit of a change on the forums and I think it's pretty cool myself. I'm HearToLearn, and have been hearing a lot of great resources right from the forum. smile (Didn't have time to spell check. Forgive me.)

Chad (Hope that makes it easier)

TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.