16.06.2004 23:02 - A Theory Of Music
Ok. Here it is. My Theory of Music. By Anne Elk.
Sorry, I couldn\'t resist it. I\'ll be serious, and try not to mention Brontosauruses.
After much observation and listening, I have come to the following conclusion.
There is no such thing as bad music, only sincere and insincere music. By this I mean that the performance of the music is what gives it its validity. This is the reason why \"Light My Fire\" sounds fantastic when done by The Doors, but terrible when performed by that idiot from \"Star Search\" whos name I can\'t even bother to remember.
This struck me first whilst watching the film biography of Beethoven, where he describes one of his symphonies to his secretary as \"The sound of a man desperately late for an appointment with his lover\". This is later revealed to be inspired by old Ludwig Van\'s personal experiences - a major turning point in his life when his \"immortal beloved\" deserted him.
Of course, some music isn\'t ever going to be sincere, because it\'s written for insincere reasons right from the start. There\'s no reason for ever writing it except to try and make a load of cash - a typical product of the \"That\'ll do\" school of song-writing. Some, however, can be transformed depending on how much of themselves the performer puts into the song. The strength in which they agree or disagree with what they are singing puts the sincerity into the performance.
This is why all the \"Starsearch\" types are missing the point. They\'re the singing equivalent of a professional salesmen, trained to sing anything with a big smile on their face. The only message that is coming over is \"look at me, I\'m a star!\", and it\'s not a very interesting message. Contrast that to someone who gives a real interpretation to a song : they give an interpretation, as opposed to a performance. They show their own view point in the interpretation, and in doing so the interpretation makes it sincere.
