FIFTEEN

I came to a realization the other day that our generation probably had it best as far as music is concerned. You know why? Because we only had one or two places to get our music. So we all grew up listening to the same music from the same one or two radio stations and we all experienced the same events together. We all watched the same TV programs and could discuss them with all of our mates. You may argue with that idea. Nowadays, since you can pretty much find anything you like on the internet, you can argue that it's better to have the variety. That it's cool that you can find at least 20 different kinds of radio formats and a bunch of music video channels, and that it's better for kids because they have more choices. But you see, that's precisely why I feel sad for them in some ways.

One of the great ways to feel part of a community is thru music. So for me, it was rock, specifically FM rock radio. All of my friends seemed to be into the same kind of rock I was into. Even then, there was some splintering. But not much. Maybe a few were into the progressive jazz albums that were released at the same time. But you can betcha that everyone knew who the Beatles were. And also the Rolling Stone, Led Zeppelin and a handful of other bands. But while kids nowadays may recognize a couple of familiar faces/names/music (Lady Gaga? Beyonce? sure) they certainly don't feel as if they belong to THAT community.

Alia, my oldest, was saying to me that the music she particularly enjoys seems to fall outside of any particular type of "group setting." She has told me her favorite artist is Ani DiFranco. Ani is well-known for being a solo artist who made it all by herself, without the help of any record label. Altho' she's not a household name, she's managed to make a business out of her music by starting her own record label herself. And in the process, inspired quite a few other artists to go the same route. Alia also likes Ella Fitzgerald and other crooners from her grandparent's era. But I think it also leaves her without a mass community that she can share the musical joy with.

Let's face it. We'll never ever get a Woodstock again. You can hold large scale concerts if the artist is popular enough (perhaps U-2?) but they won't belong to a particular generation either. Woodstock was special, it was the Peace, Love generation. The Boomers who are all rapidly aging. For kids today, it's whatever they download on their own personal iPod. And that's sad for them, since they all like such different sets of music. It's that much harder for artists to get the mass acceptance. And the ones who do. Well, they are lame because the mass audience only wants their artists a certain way. Or maybe the marketers think that. People with true talent, such as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, etc. would never make it in today's pop market. Why? Because they weren't picture perfect. Janis had huge acne scars and she probably couldn't dance her way off the stage. Jim Morrison was often drunk, he'd be the last one a big company would want to put their major marketing dollars behind. Who wants to put up with someone who was so bloated?