Music to my ears

When is music, not music anymore?  This is an incredibly subjective question to begin with, but I will tell you what is not music to my ears.  If you listen to most top 40's pop radio today, you will notice most of the music has taken a very techno influenced avenue.  All the songs have the same 2/4, pouding kick drum beat.  The reason for this is that, most of the music is written in a computer program, where the "producer" which is commonly mistaken for "composer" these days.  Most of these songs don't even have a single key change, there might just be 8 measures where they drop the beat, and call it a bridge, and chorus might just be the same thing as the verse, but with a synthesizer melody played along.  All of this music is usually just the "producer" playing a 4 measure phrase, and then looping it for 3:10 seconds to call it a hit single.  I feel this technique to create "music" leaves the songs very sterile and lifeless, with minuscule amounts of emotion.  It is hard for me to connect to music that doesn't present any sort of life to me.  To me real music has blood, sweat and tears behind it, and you can hear the real live instruments and the voices behind the sounds that are created.  The top 40's pop is not what I'd call music, it's more just instant gratification.  It gives the listener, nothing to grab onto, it's just made for keeping less musically inclined listeners entertained.  Right now I am listening to Bill Evan's Live At Art D'Lugoff's: Top Of The Gate [Disc 2].  Which just happens to be running from last night, and music like this is such artwork.  It's a live album for one, so its totally in the moment, and it's just amazing how tight this band is.  Now aday's a live show with alot of these pop singer's is just someone lip syncing over a back track, and the band and almost there for looks.  That takes away so much from the live show.  There is no room left for improvisation, nothing spontaneous.  One point with playing in a band like BearKnuckle, is really trying to put fourth a high energy live show.  For me being a musician, performing live is about the best fun I can have with music.  Being able to create something, that is perfectly spontaneous and in the moment is something that is unparalleled.  The moment creates a whole energy that the audience and I can share, and energy and is incredibly spiritual.  People feeding energy to produce a spiritual moment.  That is church for me...hahahaha.  BearKnuckle loves to perform live, and we love seeing all faces, new and old at our shows.  We love the energy that is in the air, and all the things that come with it!  WE LOVE YOU!!!

-BearKnuckle
facebook.com/BearKnuckle