From Beethoven’s 9th Symphony dedicated to Napoleon, to the political subject matter of modern rock groups, music has showcased currents events to listeners throughout history. Music is one of the best avenues for communication and expression in that it appeals to a vast array of tastes. Lyricists and musicians often use their musical talents to focus on currents events and to voice their opinions to the populace. Melody sets atmospheric tone and lyrics are rich in imagery, thus easily captivating an audience’s attention more than many news channels could. Artists also have an opportunity to get publicity for their music by writing about current events because the more controversial the opinion or tone of the song, the more the public will talk about it.
Today many internet bloggers find themselves more and more in the public eye for their controversial opinions. The wider an audience a blogger has, the more blog-hosting websites and advertisements will pay him or her. It is then very effective for musicians to use this venue for their musical talents as well as their political commentary in order to gain success in the music field. Many musicians whose videos rank high in viewers even get signed by actual record companies.
Another reason artists use music to show news items is that music reaches audiences on a level in which the listener’s emotions come into play. Music can express stories in such vivid display that listeners consider current events on a more empathetic, human level. Reading about the news or watching a news program can be rather impersonal and music inter-plays the senses in such a way that audiences are forced to consider what the music is saying. Music opens up a dialogue between audience and artist which can effectively widen the audience’s political and global perspective.
Jan
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