Wednesday, December 17, 2014

What Are You Really Saying Though?

Today in one of the classes we finished a little early, so the teacher decided to reward them for their good behavior and efforts, by playing a song that he'd shown them earlier in the week. I was pretty excited to hear it, because in both classes we had together yesterday, with groups from the same year, they were begging him to play it, and anything related to learning that gets these groups that hyped, I'm keen on experiencing. I knew it was related to heat transfers, and to be honest, was surprised that they liked whatever it was so much, since there is a general disinterest from most people this age in most subjects. This is what came on...


I listened on in awe as the whole class sang along, bopping around in their seats, totally digging this tune about conduction, convection, and radiation. Let me repeat that once more for emphasis:

A group of teenagers were happily singing along to a song about conduction, convection, and radiation. They were happily....learning! 
O_o 

(If you teach this age, I'm sure your eyes are bugging out of your head as much as mine were as I witnessed it all happening.)

I mean, this is a group, that when the teacher enters the room, doesn't even consider it as a sign that they should take their seats, open their notebooks, and be quiet. One group among many that ignores the teacher's many futile efforts of asking them to be quiet, has to comment on everything that is said and start a class-wide discussion, and rarely engages in admirable efforts of showing respect to their teachers, each other, or me. So when they were completely absorbed in a song that was designed to teach them something, I couldn't believe it! I was overtaken by deep thoughts and assessments, and this incredibly obvious-but-strong thought/realization came over me:

Pop music has the power 
(Top 40's).

For people of any age, it is catchy, sticks in your head, and isn't too complicated follow or interpret, so it's easy to listen to. And especially for people in the 11-18 age range, it's their musical Bible, their water and their air, their steak and potatoes. It's got repetitive lyrics, probably related to something you can relate to, and therefore these lyrics become mantras. We used to put them in our AIM messenger statuses and info boxes, now they are plastered all over Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, and on whatever other platforms people are up to these days. We hear a song, and it's not hard to associate it to something or someone in our lives, which contributes to us liking it, because, "Wow, this song is like, so perfect for me. I feel like they wrote it about my life!"

Which is why, while I was listening to teens singing about heat transfer, I came to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter what the song is saying, because let's face it, the lyrics in most of the top hits these days are total crap. And if the case is as it were today, as it so often is, a typical Top Hit is sung in English, but played all over the world. So you've got kids here in Spain jamming out and loving a song, but most don't even understand what they're hearing and singing. (A prime example coming from Lil Wayne's song, "Lollipop." A Spanish friend of mine told me how much she liked it, but that when she looked up the translation of the lyrics, couldn't believe what it said/she'd been saying!) Instead, it's the tune, the beat, the rhythm. That upbeat sound that makes us sway a little, and tends to take our heads to a happy place. It's pure psychological genius on the part of those who are trying to control the world with the junk. Which is why it's also a little (a lot, a lot, lot, lot, lot) unfortunate that these musical artists aren't using their position to say much of anything that's worth something, and that in the grander scheme of things, they aren't allowed to or promoted if they do.

It immediately reminded me of a scene in Step Up 4, when the lead female character is telling the lead male, that they have millions of people watching their videos on Youtube, but they aren't actually saying anything. That they had everyone's attention, all the eyes, but what was the message? And that's exactly how I feel about the pop genre. And this is all coming from a girl who was living and breathing Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, N'SYNC, and the Backstreet Boys growing up, and still can be caught singing along to a pop song every once in a while.

The point is, if more artists would dare to be true to their artistic talent and not sell out for fame and fortune (which only appears to bring happiness, but doesn't do anything to satisfy the soul), then imagine the impact it could have! Imagine these teens around the world singing about peace, love, taking care of one another, how to help each other, sustainability and being a conscious creature on Earth, instead of "You broke my heart, now Imma break your car," "Women are sluts and need to be exploited," "Today I don't feel like doing anything, and I'm not going to, because I'm rich and famous and don't have to, so yeah, that's what I'm saying, hahaha, SEX!" (All paraphrased a bit, but the meaning is relatively maintained. ;-)

It would be SO COOL to hear teens and people repeating lyrics of love and wisdom, instead of this junk that just makes them think the only way to fit in is by wasting yourself on the weekends, going shopping, falling in and out of love, being promiscuous, playing sports, being the biggest, best, prettiest, smartest-but-not-in-your-face-smart (oh yeah, and don't forget you still have to be HOTT), fastest, richest, most-followed, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc. My gosh, it's no wonder teens aren't motivated to learn things in school, with all the crap lessons they're being taught, nothing that we're actually trying to teach them is important or going to score them points in society's book of who's who! And woooowwwwieeee, the amount of energy that would be getting sent to these positive things for the world and society!? Crazy what we would see happen! It's no wonder the world is a broken mess with all the stuff we keep singing!


This is a call for all the artists out there to be true to themselves, not to sell out, and not to do your art to please other people. And to try, for the love of God, to send out a positive message!!

Is that why I write? Is that why you paint? Is that why you sing? Did you start doing this because of other people? To serve them? Sure, maybe the inspiration came from someone else, but it's your craft! Make it your own, do it your way! There are more than enough copy-cats and clones out there, let's be some originals! I promise, it'll be a lot more satisfying on your soul!

Let's all make a vow to make choices we're proud of, ones we'd actually feel good boasting to God about, and stop making choices that we think others want to see us make. Ugh! I spent so long doing that, I'm still trying to stop! And all those things I said and did because it was what They wanted, none of them ever made me feel a fraction as good as the times I am just true to myself and blast the real me out into the atmosphere!


Art is expression, 
Don't try to use yourself,
To express anybody else


Blessings, Love & Light to all the Light Workers out there, trying to make a difference in the world and spread that shine! Keep it up, we're getting there! Don't grow weary, because that light can never burn out! And to all my fellow artists, Earthings, members of humanity, 
S H I N E  O N
<3

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