Can you describe good music?

 I've recently experienced  a mild and quite humorous case of writers block when it has come to writing these blogs. Not because I can't find a topic to talk about, because music evolves every day, but instead I haven't found anything I feel passionate or excited about in a while until recently. The other day I stumbled across one of the only interviews Joni Mitchell has ever given. Watching her refreshing attitude to music and the progression,development and heartache that went into her own music really made me appreciate and envy her thoughts on what good music really is. So what is good music?I believe that there is no single accurate description of good music. We all have our own opinions about what we think it is. Our opinions are influenced by factors such as whats 'in' at the moment, what our friends like and what we think is cool to like. When it comes down to it we all hold our own thoughts about what is good music and what isnt but the most important thing to think about isn't what good music is but how it is appreciated.  For example , in my own opinion I believe Fleetwood Mac are one the greatest things to come out of the music industry. I dont believe that every one of their songs is amazing but the heartache, talent and true determination behind each of those songs showed and proved that their music was some what of an art.'Good music' is something that  shows off this art and creativity. I really do struggle to understand who decides music is good or bad when in fact it is our own personal opinion that criticis it.

The word 'guilty pleasure' gets used frequently when it comes to my music opinion. Sean Paul for example . Not the greatest of song writers/performers but somehow I still adore his music and love his way of singing( and I'm not even joking). Normally this would be a blasphemous choice when it comes to naming artists that I like but we can't control what music we like or what we see as 'good'. You might claim to be some kind of alternative/indie rock lover but hear Michael Buble on the radio and suddenly get attached. We can't stick to a particular type of genre and say that we only like that. We are and should be more open to music and naming it good or bad.  As cheesy as this sounds, music is not something to label its something to embrace, explore and enjoy. 

 Beau x

             Procrastination or Motivation?

I most definitely should be revising at this minute in time, but instead I'm counting this blog as an English Language A-Level revision exercise (hah).  There are ridiculous forms of revision , one of them being getting up early and working in silence on a table all day with no distractions. As much as people want to say that they do this everyday, it really won't be true. One of the tools that helps me revise on a day to day basis and soothes my utter frustration of the concept of A levels is  my ever soothing and honestly motivational playlist. You might just see this as the worlds worst distraction to your revision and one of the most ridiculous blogs  you have read, but I just thought I'd share and see if it helps. Here are five songs that help me revise and motivate me to break free from the mental block revision creates. 

                                          

 Enjoy

Beau x

Big Yellow Taxi for Mitchell

 

Joni Mitchell has to be one of the most inspiring and talented musicians of all time. Some of you may not have heard of her or her music but I recommend you pick up whatever laptop, Iphone, Ipad or device you have sitting next to you and search it. You will never look back.  Producing nineteen albums in her successfull career has lead her legacy to be one to remember, and one that proves that even though these generations have past, her music still stayed as gripping as ever. Being described as 'a powerful influence on all artists who embrace diversity, imagination and integrity' won her over ten awards over the years and to say the least she deserves them.  

 

 

Mitchell's  hypnotic and beautiful  song writing has influenced numerous artists all around the word, some of these being the legendary Led Zeppelin, Morrissey and Prince.  The Rolling Stones magazine even labeled her as 'one of the greatest songwriters of all time'.  Her pure voice is one that sticks in your memory and one that sticks in your head after just one listen.  Her music drifts between folk -rock and folk-jazz and each song reflects its own individual genre in a talented and quirky way. The gritty yet soothing tone of her voice is one can put you in a trance and leaves you just open to the beauty of the song. Even though this music might be  the opposite to what you normally listen to or  isn't your cup of tea, Mitchell  needs appreciating. So for the sake of reading this blog or just out of curiosity, have a cheeky listen!

Beau x 

                                 Watch, Listen and Tell

There are over 120,000,00 videos on YouTube, about 200,000 uploaded each day, over 10,000,000 YouTube videos watched daily and over 300,000,000 accounts exist. Watch,Listen and Tell are a YouTube channel dedicated to acoustic and live music. They have over 30 videos of amazing mixed genre bands playing their songs acoustically in different areas around England. 

       The magic of Watch, Listen and Tell is that the videos are filmed with a warm tone and with just the sound of the instrument, the voice and the nature behind. The videos show the raw talent of many known and unknown artists and it gives them opportunity to really show off the pure voices they have and create the platform for success in the future. WLT provides musical enchantment for everyone's ears and what made me  love and divulge in WLT was that I found that with every video I listened to  it made me want to listen to more of the band playing. I found numerous new bands that I liked and discovered that the genre I may have thought I didn't like appealed more to me. If WLT doesn't appeal to you now , I highly recommend listening to all the videos and you will be sure to find something you love. This YouTube channel really helps you to relax and explore the musical world. You may even find a band you love that's been right in front of you all along.

The video below is when WLT visited a village called Hambale in Zambia to help build pit toilets that help fight the number of people dying of diarrhea. They found that one of the builders had built his own handmade guitar and wanted to play for WLT as the sun was setting. This video will captivate you in a way you wouldn't believe. If your Sunday is not so bright , listen to this.
          
        Watch, Listen and Tell. Happy Sunday!

 Beau x