Nicolle+M’s+Final+AmEx+2014+Speech

=Title of Speech=

"The Resurgence of Talent in Music" by Nicolle =Text of Speech=

Before I begin, I would like to say that this is merely my opinion and my taste when it comes to this subject. Jimi Hendrix said that," Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music." Music has continually been proven to help teenagers adjust to their enviroment and emotions. Livestrong.com says that,"

For teenagers, music frequently provides a means of identifying or labeling certain emotions. In music with lyrics, teenagers may identify with expressed emotions of happiness and sadness, or with sociological or political themes. For teenagers struggling with issues surrounding adolescence, sexuality, sexual orientation, loneliness or depression, identifying these emotions in music can be extremely helpful." But music these days isn't the great, talented thing it used to be. Lately all I've seen that's been "mainstream" and on the radio is just an artist being credited for someone else's work. So, I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of hearing of artists who “started from the bottom” and claim to have worked their way to where they are, but really have no talent. I guarantee you, they may sound good on the recordings, but I'm tired of hearing about how this artist "wrote" this awesome song, when most of the artists these days are earning aren't writing their riches from the infamous technology of auto tune. And if you like people sounding heavily edited, well I certainly apologize, but I support bands who can produce the same sound live without lip singing. own music.

Now, call me what you will, but my cup of tea has heavy guitar riffs, sweet drum rhythms, bass, and solid vocals with lyrics that aren't always about drugs, sex, and money. Yes, I’m a concert junkie. I will never completely like a band or artist until I see them live because anyone can sound good on a recording with professionals tweaking and fixing all your mishaps, but on stage, you get one shot to not miss your chance to blow. I want to see more bands like the Rolling Stones or Journey who never failed to give a good show, versus Miley Cyrus, who sings over her recordings and can only get attention by “acting out”, or One Direction, who ripped off Baba O’Riley in the Best Song Ever. But don’t worry, I’ll address the talent of writing in music later. An article I read cited a person named Taj saying, “Since maybe 2008, the music industry has been reduced to trash. You no longer need talent to be signed. If you’re hot, interesting, or odd, then congratulations! You got yourself a record deal! Unfortunately, mainstream music has now been reduced to poor beats and senseless subjects, sometimes the same thing. In rap, all you hear now is about how shiny someone’s rims are, how many women they can get, and how much money they have. It’s old. It’s stale. But the big executives think that it’s a cash cow, which unfortunately most of the time it is.” Whatever happened to the times before this generation with vinyl records, classic rock, and Woodstock? Yeah, say whatever bad things you want about the 70’s, but I think we all can agree that some of the best music came from that era. Just to name a few: Boston, Foreigner, Journey, Styx, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin, hell even the Ramones! To me, music today is sort of a façade. You think that an artist is really good when in reality they can barely hit a high C. Even in concerts they keep up the persona by lip singing and putting on a good “dance show” for the audience. But I don’t think music should be a lie. I think music is real, relatable, and an emotional comfort which shouldn't be covered up by a false reality of a person’s “talent.” It shouldn't have its main focus be about making money, it’s main focus should be making sure that there’s someone somewhere connecting and listening to it. What depresses me the most about the talent-less music we have today is the fact that not only can they not sing, they don’t even write their own music. As someone who plays and writes music, I can’t fathom how someone can take credit for a producer written song and make millions while the producer is merely credited in fine print. How many of you actually know the name of the producer who wrote your favorite song? Or auto-tuned those “perfect” notes you hear? I don’t even understand how one can call some musicians today actual “artists”, because I personally call them plagiarizers. Yet the artists who actually do write their own music, yes surprisingly there still are a few with talent, are under appreciated and go unnoticed for their artistry. Music is an art, it shouldn't be exploited into being some huge business all about looking at people in numbers. Music is about looking at people individually and showing how they can relate to one another. In the America I wish to grow old in, I want to see more talent in music. I want to see people connecting through that artistry, and being inspired to find their own way of self-expression. I want to see music being about relating people and bringing them together, rather than who has the best auto-tune and producers.

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