Youth listeners want more than drum and bass By Justin Whyte Workshop on The Arts today investigates what young people respond to in music. Carlington Wilmot has done interviews with young people and sought their responses. "Music is the only language with contradictory attributes, being at once intelligible and untranslatable, the musical creator is compared with the gods and music seen as the supreme mystery of the science of man". (Claude Levi Strauss). ACCORDING TO informal surveys and music commentaries, more people are now listening to music than in the earlier centuries. Listenership has increased dramatically since World War II. We find that music is more accessible and available to a wider range of the populations of the world. However, in spite of the widespread diffusion, music remains an enigma. John Blacking, ethnomusicologist and an accomplished musician, postulates that music bears so little resemblance to sounds made by other species that some scholars regard it as an entirely separate phenomenon. "There is so much music in the world", he said. "It is reasonable to suppose that music, like language and possible religion is a species-specific trait of man. Music also brings about similar physical responses in different people at the same time. And, it has been proved that, this is why it is able to draw groups together and create a sense of unity. Not every group of persons, concert-goers or listeners demonstrate his or her intense sensibilities the same way in response to music played or sung. Music can provoke intense, genuine emotional arousals from ecstatic feelings to floods of tears. This then brings us to the point that both young and old listeners respond to different elements in music for excitement. Bearing in mind too, that the unmusical person is less physiologically aroused than the musical. Roger Brown, one of the world's experts on the development of language in children, also studies reaction in music. He has revealed in his writings through researches carried out that "there is widespread consensus between listeners about the emotional content of different pieces of music." John Dacosta of the band Zinc Fence feels that "Our young people listening to music has been greatly influenced by Cable TV. They are fed with a mixture of R&B, hip hop, Latin, other Caribbean and Afro/Caribbean rhythms. In fact it is the delight of many of them to listen to alternative music and show in general opposition to the usual heavy metal that they are accustomed to. And so, they are able to connect with the world through listening to all these different musics," he explained. He also found that young people and adults are paying attention to music with strong lyrical content and enjoy singing along, when these tunes are played. John also said that young audiences want to identify with what is current, what's happening in the top 10 charts, especially overseas. "Image is also important for them and they respond to the music when they are able to look at artistes' dress and hairstyles, and this causes an immediate response," he continued. Kathleen Hickling of Kathleen Bond Hickling Music Studio, a teacher of more than 60 years, who teaches theory and practical classical music to students of varying ages, sees music largely as a gift and so it carries with it inspired listening. "I find that students will respond mainly to how the work is presented, but moreso to the sound, whether simple or complicated, but full of harmony. They receive much satisfaction from contemporary pieces. In listening to classical pieces they listen to the shape and form of the music. They like also, being Jamaicans on a whole, to "catch the rhythm" and most of them go for "catchy times, " she explained. Meanwhile, Barry Williams, baritone singer, who has worked with mainly Christian gospel groups, revealed that "Young people especially, respond to rhythm as opposed to harmony. There must be a pulsating bassline with drums at high volume. Young people are now responding to the new sounds. Gospel listeners are listening for the blackness in the music instead of sounds." He also said they are also warming to personalities like Ron Kenoly's, Shirley Caesar and Kirk Franklin, among others. Mr. Williams also told The Gleaner that young people seldom listen to music for its scriptural input -- Just "Christ" with a strong pulsating beat". Father Richard Ho Lung, who has been staging musicals for over 29 years and one who is involved in writing lyrics and music for various musicals, the most recent being Jesus 2000, and one who has brought inspiration to Jamaicans across the island and indeed, the region, suggests that, "Young people listen to music for its strong rhythmic content. Mostly they go for anything well composed and pleasing to the ear. So long as the music has rich melodies, and the drama in sound is well expressed and there should be expressive elements of surprise" he said. Father also pointed out that young people enjoy music which communicate strong messages, contending that: "Our young people have high taste in music. They want to listen to different idioms -- mento, revival reggae, among other genres." "What was also remarkable," Father Ho Lung said: "Young people listen to the orchestration of the orchestra and enjoy its fullness. They wanted to know about the instruments used and why the sounds vary from one with the other. Jamaican young people look for music which is well arranged and composed." "Our church young people respond to mostly rhythm -- the America type, especially songs using the dancehall idiom, they make a lot of noise for it, " explained Che Cowan, director of Glory Music. He also said "We have just returned from a summer camp and found that young people like clever lyrics too, especially those they can respond to spiritually. They also show much interest in music with strong concepts and having an authentic sound. They go wild when they listen to CDs based on the "Praise And Worship" concept." John Dacosta concludes that most young people will be tuned to bouncy, groovy music; even if the sound is strange. We need to create music which excites our young.
|
