MAM ISSUE #2

MEGA ARTIST
Issue no: 02
evoked some kind of emotion out of them. This got discovered from the answers to
question number two: Why do you listen to the music you listen to? All the answers
included some type of emotional attachment, one RnB lover said “I love RnB music
because it soothes my soul, when I listen to it, however my day is going, it cheers
me up” One deep house listener said “House music makes me feel at peace, it
cheers me up and I love being happy” while one interesting fellow who claims to
listen to all genres extensively depending on his mood said “Music gives me hope,
the rhythm entertains me. When I'm down, it uplifts me, soothes me, and gives me
courage. I know I can do all things after listening to it, it revives my soul”.
Question number three was rather hard to come by, most of the participants in my
survey hesitated when answering this one and one blatantly replied “I don't learn
anything from it, I just love the way it sounds” while another asked if this question
was really necessary. Just in case you are also wondering, yes this question is
rather relevant. Music, among many other forms of art and media has been used as
a way of educating people, whether by raising awareness or simply introducing a
topic of discussion in society. It has also played major roles in supporting
revolutionary ideologies such as democracy, independence and Africanisation.
Many artists work tirelessly on their art in order to use it as instruments of change.
Are we oblivious to this?
Let us move on to question number four, the answers to “When do you usually listen
to music?” were as diverse as the people that were interviewed, from those who
listen to music when they are bored to those who have routines such as listening to
music first thing in the morning and just before they sleep to those who preferred
listening to music while doing other tasks such as studying, chatting, eating and
even bathing.
The question which many artists would chop my head off if I boxed the responses
then came up, question number five which was “what do you think is the best way to
appreciate music?” One underground hip hop, reggae and soul and jazz lover said
“The best way to appreciate music is to listen, understand and learn from it, an ear
and brain were created for a reason by our Heavenly Father, let us put them to use” .
Others seemed to lean more on the artists side, one gospel lover said “Buying the
Cd's and downloading the songs legally are the best way to show appreciation for
music, you are uplifting the musician to make more music” This was supported by
numerous other people, highlighting the importance of showing support for music
by using the correct channels, Artists need to eat of course. One house fan added
that dancing to music and showing that it makes you happy is also a form of
appreciation.
There are different genres of music, we are different people, with different tastes
and personalities however, music manages to be the glue that binds us together.
The music industry is flooded with plenty of artists who are all trying to get our
attention and appreciation. We, the fans, the supporters of art are ultimately what
makes or breaks them. Yes, we have that power because someone said knowledge
is power, let us use this power wisely and use it to grow our artists so that they can
touch other people's lives the same way they touched ours.
So what is the big deal about music? Harry Allen Overstreet said it best,“I have my
www.megaartists.co.za NOV-DEC 2014 Page 13