The Sound of Music

This thought emerged yesterday when my husband spent a large part of the evening watching several music videos of Rihanna's songs, which she has released over the years.

This got me to wonder if I had ever really enjoyed watching music videos and what purpose do music videos truly serve?

This trail of thought got me to probe further and the actual question worth thinking about was, do many of us really enjoy music for what it truly is - i.e. In it's unadulterated form, free from the usual visual mediums that accompany music these days, such as, music videos, live stage performances, reality shows etc.?

In the olden days when radio or records were the main means of exposure to music, so the key focus as we can imagine would have been purely on the music - the sound, melody, lyrics, vocals, etc. The only exception would probably be sporadic live performances from time to time- if it happened to take place in a venue close to where you lived and if you could afford it.

With the advent of television, the internet and more efficient means to transport and connectivity, different dynamics have now come into play. It isn't anymore about the songs itself or the music albums. Music videos, live performances on the TV or over the web, frequent tours/live performances at venues all over the world, television reality shows with singing playing a key part, is all part and parcel of the music scene these days.

I can see how music videos help the artist, because it gives their voice a face. It helps them create a certain persona for themselves. Videos also provide employment to the support team like stylists, choreographers etc. It maybe makes the memory of a song last longer in the audience's mind, with the added visuals coming to the audience's aid.

But isn't music to be enjoyed for the melody, voice, lyrics etc.? And don't music videos distract us from focusing on the music itself?

This trail of thought got me to even question live performances. Don't the stage backdrops, dancers, lights etc. take away from enjoying the music, for what it is?
I can see how live performances help the artist and supporting team of stylist, set designers, dancers etc., get an additional means of income. Some artists thrive from the positive energy that they receive from a live audience. And it serves as a means to directly connect with their audience and entertain them.

So, unlike music videos, at least live performances give the audience a synergistic experience, which is worth experiencing. Also maybe get further inspired by the artist they admire.

Music pieces used in movies also somehow make sense. The lyrics of a song can help to take a movie plot forward or the melody or the vocalist's voice has the potential to add character or help generate a particular emotion in the movie audience.

But then again how many of us usually take the trouble to identify background scores of different movies that may have caught our fancy as we watched a movie.

Music based TV reality shows are another more recent medium for established artists to reach out, and maybe also providing exposure for new talent to the world, or to provide us exposure to new renditions of old favourites. Besides 'The Voice', I can't think of many other shows where the vocals are the core factor at choosing potential talent, and where very little focus is laid on personality, looks, one's back story etc.

So we can see how live performances, music tracks for movies and music based TV reality shows add value to the audience. However, I still fail to see how music videos could add value to the song, expect for pegging a visual to an audio track.

After having questioned most mediums, where visuals seem to play a key role, rendering the sanctity of the pure auditory experience high and dry, I chose to look at how I could, in my own way, embrace the visual mediums of music exposure.

I use these visual mediums for personal creative growth. Personally for me, how a song is conceptualised or translated into a video is always intriguing. Or the set and stage setup at a live performance or how different voices and performances are evaluated or judged is interesting.

I often play this creative game with myself. I ask myself how would I imagine a video on a particular song, that I may have heard on the radio. I then try and compare it to the actual video. I have often been surprised, by the way the actual video pans out. Sometimes it's been a pleasant surprise, for instance Gotye - 'Somebody that I used to know' or Justin Bieber's - 'Love yourself'. and then other moments when I couldn't have, in my wildest dreams, imagined such a video for the song, e.g. Jess Glynne's 'Rather be' or Major Lazer's 'Lean on'.

Also, while watching any music TV reality show, I would shut my eyes and try and listen to the vocal performance for what it is and then form my own opinion on who my favourite contestant is.

These are little ways in which I try to embrace what's presented to me and make it enjoyable to me.

The next time you happen to watch a music video or a TV reality show or a live performance, try to become more self aware of what music really means to you.
For instance, ask yourself -
- Do you tend to interpret stimuli that comes your way more visually or more acoustically?
- Do you take a more logical approach and focus more on the lyrics of the song? Or are you driven by feelings and tend to focus more on the melody or the vocals?
- How does music stimulate/ inspire you?