DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

 

Conformity In Musicianship

 

 

 

All artists, specifically musicians, have a unique vision for what they want to create. Creation itself is a process that is extraordinarily unique to each person who goes through it. Unfortunately, society tends to infringe upon this process by instilling a sense of necessary conformity. Conformity is extremely important to artists because it catalyzes a fan base and an overall future in music in general.  No matter the time period, each musician has their own unique artistic vision; an individualized type of music, image, and the sound that they desire to create. With societal norms having such an influence on artists they begin to lose track of this vision. Therefore it’s imperative for artists not lose sight of their true artistic vision and focus on the music they desire to create.

 

In Plato’s famous dialogue Allegory of the Cave he advocates what it takes to find truth and how easily manipulated the truth is. He writes about prisoners trapped in a cave only able to see the shadows of images reflected from a light behind them.  Seeing only shadows, the prisoners were unsure of what they were looking at and therefore could only believe the distorted shadowy images before them, “To them, I said, the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images” (Plato 1). Whether they knew what they saw was real, they believed it because they had to believe in something. Similarly, artists who put on a façade to strictly conform to what society wants start to believe the image they are portraying. They lose sight of what their true desires are. For example, Taylor Swift, once a country artist, conformed to a society that favors pop music and is now associated with the pop genre. Unlike the former country star there are artists like Country star Darius Rucker who faces other struggles with conformity. Being a black country artist, he doesn’t naturally fit into the country artist stereotype of being a white man or a “hick”. Although Rucker faces the obstacle of not fitting in he is able to overcome the setback by sticking true to his music and allowing the public to see who he truly is.

 

As it was stated, societal norms influence artists in each and every time period.  Hildegard of Bengin was a visionary and a composer whose compositions date back to 1150. She composed plainchants that were used as liturgies in the Catholic Church. Unlike many composers of the time she revealed her identity to society. Being a woman, she took a risk revealing her identity because in they eyes of the Catholic Church women weren’t considered equal to men. No matter the repercussions, Hildegard did not fear the implications society would hold on her and preferred for her true identity to be known. She truly believed in her artistic vision and wouldn’t let societies influence veer her away from it

 

In my own musical experiences I have come across fellow musicians who have lost sight of their artistic vision because of their peers thoughts and personal preferences. For example, my best friend who studied classical music extensively was constantly made fun of for the music she sung because it wasn’t the type of music that was heard on the radio or sung by anyone else in the school. The kind of taunting she experienced for her taste in music is found very common in adolescents. As Abigail Baird states in her article “In Teen Music Choices, Anxiety Rules”, “The fear of social rejection is so strong in adolescents that they will go to extreme lengths to feel superior to their peers” (Baird). Baird suggests that teens will ridicule their peers because of their taste in music so that they can benefit socially. As my friend was about to give up on her artistic vision she met another girl who shared her love for classical music and urged her to continue her craft. My friend like many others was so easily influenced by what her peers thought of her. With this influence so strong it will become easier for artists to stick to their true artistic vision by surrounding his or herself with peers that support the vision rather than those who oppose it.

 

.

 

While artists often get lost in the identity that they pose for the public, they also often forget the meaning behind their music. When the time comes for an artist to decide between compensation for their work or sticking to true artistic vision their natural sense is to go for compensation. Unfortunately, it takes money to live and that’s why this choice is made so often. Despite the frequency at which this decision is made isn’t necessarily thought through or completely understood; once compensation is involved the artistic vision an artist may have had is altered through the management. As Rene Descartes states in his Fourth Meditation of Truth and Error, error often comes from will rather than understanding. Human beings act before they thoroughly think through their actions. “By implanting in my understanding a clear and distinct knowledge of all the objects respecting which I should ever have to deliberate; or simply by so deeply engraving on my memory the resolution…(Descartes). By fully understanding a decision, passion will guide the decision rather than the urge of will.

 

Musicians in today’s society have to endure a constant struggle between jet setting their careers and conforming to what society wants and expects from them. It is vital for each and every musician to understand the consequences of conforming to what society wants. The truth will allow a musician to expand his or herself and keep their true artistic approaches and visions alive.  As the great Thomas Jefferson said, “Truth is certainly a branch of morality and a very important one to society”. It is time that musicians acknowledge the hold society has on them and let the truth of their own artistic vision shine a brighter light on their listeners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                         Works Cited

 

Anthenaeum Library of Philosophy. Jud Evans, 1990. Web. 1 Oct.  2013.

 

Brainy Quote. Book Rags Media Network, 2001. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.

 

The Internet Classics Archive. Daniel C. Stevenson, 2009. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.

 

New Republic. The New Republic, 20 Sept. 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2013

 

"In Teen Music Choices, Anxiety Rules." Baird. Scientific American, 10 March 2010. Web. 10 Oct.2013

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.