MUSIC
NOTES
MUSIC
NOTES
ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Well, maybe, but the naysayers still call it on its deathbed. But, even so, we are still able to use its powers in mysterious, yet beneficial, ways.
As rock and roll passes its 40
th, or so, birthday, it is, once again, the subject of possibly premature obituaries. Recently, a national newspaper ran a full, two-page article based on the premise that hip-hop and techno are more tuned into the times than rock and roll, thereby announcing that rock is, semi-officially, dead. The story bemoans the dearth of new rock artists who excite anyone, by that record companies and/or the general public. Noticeably, a chart accompanying the story shows that sales of music labeled in the rock category have slipped significantly in recent years, dropping from 43 percent of the market share in 1989 to 26 percent in 1998.A number of theories are typically associated with this theory/fact, with the most crucial deemed that the so-called "baby boomer" public, those born between 1946 and 1964 by sociological definition, just don’t buy records anymore. Whether that’s true or not, the plain fact is that the artists deemed important by those in that age group, Rod Stewart, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and the lot, are able to command top ticket prices of $125 to shows that sell out in an instant. So, it seems that the baby boomer dollar is being moved from recorded to live music.
Yet, there still remains creative ways to both use and enjoy the music. Recently, a municipal court judge in Fort Lupton, Colorado has developed a novel sentence for those miscreants who had the temerity to play their music much too loudly, thereby violating local noise ordinances. Apparently, there is a battle going on in that town between those with loud boom boxes and those who can’t take the sounds bellowing out of them.
So, when those convicted come before this rockin’ judge, the sentence does truly find the crime. He forces the defendants to choose between either a $65 fine or listening to a full hour of music that they hate, be it Barry Manilow or whatever, emanating from a boom box placed near them in semi-custody. So far, so good. About 50 persons have opted for the "listening room," and none have returned to court on similar charges.
There’s another novel use of rock and roll, one much closer to home. In Branford, three full-time musicians, including one classical performer, have started the "Rock ‘n’ Roll Boot Camp," which offers amateur musicians the opportunity to play in a band, tapped off with a live performance at a local watering hole. The class consists of four two-hour classes and the final, the live performance. Among the students have been a doctor, teacher and a court reporter. Nobody’s quit their day jobs yet, according to published reports, but the camp is serious.
So, rock and roll may be dying, or else it’s metamorphosing into something else as it crawls along to middle age. Whether it’s the judicial system, a music boot camp, or high priced concert tickets, it still appears that rock and roll is here to stay.
Comments to Mark T. Gould