My 7 yr-old daughter recently went through a phase of wanting to listen to ‘2FM music’. The favourite song of my 9-11 yr old piano students is God’s Plan – no not by Derek Ryan, but Drake. Some of the teenagers involved in this weekend’s big showcase are missing one night or the other because they’re going to see Ed Sheeran.
My initial (internal) reaction to these people – ah lads, there’s better music than that that you could be listening to.
And then I think and reflect, and realise that my parents/music teachers had the same reaction to me listening to Oasis or Blur at 15, and their parents probably had the same reaction to them listening to The Beatles, and my daughter in 30 years time will probably have the same reaction to whatever her children are listening to.
It’s human – it’s the ‘things weren’t like that in my day’ syndrome, but it’s also lazy. Go back to when you were 7, or 10, or 18 and have a think about why you liked the music you did. You’ll probably find that the reasons why you listened to what you did are the same reasons why people that age like the music they like today. It makes them want to dance, or makes them feel free, or helps them get rid of anger or sadness, or makes them feel part of something.
And as long as music is serving those purposes, I don’t mind what it is.
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