Local Music
By Brittany Barney
As a start to this article I would just like to say that I am no expert on music in any of its forms. And while I can often be heard humming a tune on key, I don’t usually sing for people and I haven’t a stitch of talent for any sort of instrument. Why, then, write an article on music? Over the last year I have become very familiar with the local music scene of my small college town. I’ve experienced many of the venues, the people, the atmospheres, and the jokes.
Unlike the commercialized popular music scene, local music scenes have a raw, edgy, even hazy quality about them. They differ from town to town, but there is something about the dimly lit room, the over stuffed couches, and the small groups of people sipping their drinks in the back while the music, good or bad, plays out of the usually mediocre speakers, that draws people in. A camaraderie forms in those little venues that doesn’t have to be addressed or acknowledged. Whether in a dark club or a sunny park, musicians and fans alike will sit back and enjoy the show.
I have experienced this brotherhood first hand. It doesn’t come because the musicians all get along, in fact they rarely do. It doesn’t come from the shared musical taste by everyone in the room. The bonding idea about hometown music is the respect the musicians and fans have for the music itself. They know the effort put into writing a song. They know the nerves that seep from your core to your fingertips and lips when you start to perform. And the crowd also knows something else. They know that unmistakable emotion that takes over their bodies, takes over the whole room, while listening to the clever covers of the classics or the originals of familiar local legends.
Get involved. You don’t have to be a fantastic singer, guitarist, or drummer to support your local musicians. Go to the shows, teach kids about music, lend your venue to an open mic, buy local artist’s music, or donate your resources. Being a part of your local music scene unites a community and broadens the minds of its members. Support you local musicians and enable creativity to progress.
By Brittany Barney
As a start to this article I would just like to say that I am no expert on music in any of its forms. And while I can often be heard humming a tune on key, I don’t usually sing for people and I haven’t a stitch of talent for any sort of instrument. Why, then, write an article on music? Over the last year I have become very familiar with the local music scene of my small college town. I’ve experienced many of the venues, the people, the atmospheres, and the jokes.
Unlike the commercialized popular music scene, local music scenes have a raw, edgy, even hazy quality about them. They differ from town to town, but there is something about the dimly lit room, the over stuffed couches, and the small groups of people sipping their drinks in the back while the music, good or bad, plays out of the usually mediocre speakers, that draws people in. A camaraderie forms in those little venues that doesn’t have to be addressed or acknowledged. Whether in a dark club or a sunny park, musicians and fans alike will sit back and enjoy the show.
I have experienced this brotherhood first hand. It doesn’t come because the musicians all get along, in fact they rarely do. It doesn’t come from the shared musical taste by everyone in the room. The bonding idea about hometown music is the respect the musicians and fans have for the music itself. They know the effort put into writing a song. They know the nerves that seep from your core to your fingertips and lips when you start to perform. And the crowd also knows something else. They know that unmistakable emotion that takes over their bodies, takes over the whole room, while listening to the clever covers of the classics or the originals of familiar local legends.
Get involved. You don’t have to be a fantastic singer, guitarist, or drummer to support your local musicians. Go to the shows, teach kids about music, lend your venue to an open mic, buy local artist’s music, or donate your resources. Being a part of your local music scene unites a community and broadens the minds of its members. Support you local musicians and enable creativity to progress.
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