Friday; October 21

When Arthur Conley, Jr. asked the musical question in 1967, “Do you like good music …” my response was, “Yes, I do.”. My answer over fifty years later is still the same. Just about whenever and wherever you see me, I’ll have music playing in the background. Whether in my office, my car or even as I mow the grass, I like good music. As a child of the 60’s and 70’s there were a lot of people who would challenge the “good” part of that last statement, in fact some of the people who critiqued music back then declared that Rock and Roll was the beginning of the end for our society, but we listened to it anyway. Did we end up better or worse – I guess that is a question for the ages.

While we like our music, sometimes I wonder if it really is good for us. Now, please hear me out, I am not calling out any particular style or genre of music, I am just wondering about the impact music makes on us. Did the protest songs of the 1960s challenge us to do more for the nation or simply distrust the establishment? Did the hedonistic music of the 1970s and 1980s merely document a view of society or did it cause some people to embrace a decadent lifestyle? Was the hardcore music of the 1990s just for entertainment or did it glamorize the violence it chronicled? While I have my personal favorite types of music (and some I dislike) I believe the message the music promotes is more important than the beats per minute.

What is our music doing to us or for us? Is it uplifting or discouraging? Does it challenge us to become involved or check out? Is it promoting peace and unity or is it designed to polarize us from others. Music is important to our world and our lives. Let’s make sure its influence is making us better.

Think About It!

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