My music is better than your music: A Note for the Grammy-Shamers

I have been looking forward to one of music’s biggest nights for a long time; it came and went so fast.  I was mesmerized by LL Cool J and his ability to make each performance flow as if they were all apart of the same album.  The mash ups were funky and yet they worked, the dancing was sexy, the infamous marriage ceremony made me jealous and proud all at the same time, laughing at the ridiculous Yogi Bear hat and watching each and everyone of the artists who made pop culture history this year dance to music that was very different from their own was inspiring.  Yet, social media did not reflect my views this year.  Why?  It was a pop culture event was it not?  Where did all this hate come from when the same songs that narrate our typical days were being performed on the grandest stage of them all?

Ohhh, is it because it is pop culture?!  I didn’t realize that pop culture and pop music, whether classified as pop, country, rock, classical, hip hop is still, um, popular.  Dammit radio, stop making people happy and then certainly DON’T play any of our favorite artists on television.  I may be a little biased here because I work in the radio industry and listen to the music that was showcased in the Grammy’s.  Now, this doesn’t mean I LOVED every second of it.  I had my critiques also. (WHY DID THEY LEAVE OUT DAVE GROHL’S PERFORMANCE?!!!!)  But why should I get on social media sites to pose questions like “Was Beyonce’s opening performance too sexy?” or “Pink is an acrobat.  Did she lip sync too?” when I get feedback and read other posts like “I have actual taste in music. NOT WATCHING THE GRAMMYs.”


@)*%$#(#*  What?!  Okay, so you don’t watch the Grammy’s.  Perhaps the mash-ups are a little much, the wedding was bizarre, or you have never heard of Kasey Musgraves, Kris Kristofferson or Daft Punk.  It’s overwhelming.  But do you need to Grammy-shame the rest of us?  Is your taste in music really better than mine?  Is my bias holding me back from knowing what great music is? 

I have been salty on this subject for a couple of days now.  I searched my iTunes play list and there are certainly a number of widely recognized artists.  There is also a range of older classic rock, swing, blues, jazz and underground punk.  None of which will EVER be featured on the biggest musical stage.  This fact does NOT mean that those songs are not great.  In fact, they move me and did for the artists whatever writing music is supposed to do for the soul.

 

Then I came to my senses and remembered that music, like beauty, is subjective.  My music, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, MxPx, Phillip Glass, Steven Sondheim, George Thorogood, Josh Grobin, John Legend, Eazy-E, among so many more, is in fact good.  These songs are not just good, they are great! If only for the fact that they remind me of memories that are beautiful, fun, ugly, sentimental or otherwise.  These songs move me, make me a better person and narrate my life.  So, yes, because I work in a place where the majority of music is pop culture, most of my day is written to the sound track of Adele, Katy Perry, Robin Thick and Imagine Dragons.  I just consider myself lucky: I work in a place that I love and enjoying music that apparently a lot of other people enjoy too.

My music, however, is not my music.  That meaning, it doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to the world.  So, this “actual taste in music” you have should not be sheltered.  SHARE IT!  You never know who you will move or touch or improve.  Besides, isn't that what songs do: bring people together?  This year, the Grammy's did a great job of doing just that. Oh, and celebrating the accomplishments of people who make and perform for all of us.


So, to the Grammy-Shamers: Do you have the Music In You? 

No New Year's Resolutions For Me; I'm Perfect!!!

We are far enough into the New Year now where most resolutions drop off into a black hole somewhere, never to be remembered.  Yet, any regular gym-goer knows that their weights won’t get re-racked and bench wiped down the correct way again until at least March. (Those are the particularly strong willed resolutioners!)  Why are we so complacent with failure?  We eat our weight in holiday cookies because we convince ourselves that New Year’s is only a week away and we’ll start our diets, er,…I mean resolutions then.

I really hate New Year’s Eve.  Not that I’m a partier normally, but it really is an Amateur’s Night.  There is so much stock into throwing a good party, or going to the best bar, but I am always let down.  No amount of shots decorated with glitter salt, party hats, and googly 2014 glasses can change the fact that you spent $20 to get your foot in the door, your date will be too drunk to do you later, and you have to start your stupid diet tomorrow.

I resolved a long time ago to STOP the madness and stop putting that much pressure on myself.  No more resolutions.  Instead, I like to look back on the year I’ve had: professionally, emotionally, physically did I learn or grow?  I won’t beat myself up if I didn’t, but it is pretty difficult to let a year go by without learning something about yourself.  Then, it’s time to set some goals: “I will run at least 3 races this year” or “I will do at least one volunteer related activity per month” or “I will love more by hugging more.”  The trick is setting tangible goals.  All of these, no matter how easy or ridiculous they seem are important tangible goals that will improve my life somehow professionally, emotionally or physically.  BONUS: they should all create some great memories to look back on next year and help me not worry so much about the cookies that appear in my oven but once a year.








Stop beating yourself up because you didn’t “get healthier” like you resolved to, just change the goal so you can touch it or really feel it.  You know, like sign up for that bicycling tour in New England you’ve always dreamed about doing, except actually do it. 

It won't be easy, but nothing worth having in life comes without its own set of challenges...but hopefully Mr. Gaye and Ms. Ross can help inspire you :)  Rock on and have a killer 2014!