Music influences

Story by Matthew Martin, staff writer

From turning on the radio to simply putting in earbuds, music has made some major changes in itself and people. The changes in behavior from music is phenomenal, especially from the last generation to the next.

As the generations pass, new music is made and new impacts are obtained. The way music has changed kids and teens in this generation is massive, mainly promoting a shift in dances and activities in the genre of R&B and hip hop.

“I like R&B and Indie Pop type music. Some of it, I can’t understand a word,” senior Violet Davis said. “With hip hop, it can influence you into more vulgar things. It’s just the lyrics that cause the biggest consequences.”

Davis has a double sided opinion of music. She enjoys listening to the melodies but believes it’s inappropriate. She thinks music corresponds with emotions and moods as well.

“I think moods and the music you actually listen to influence you,” Davis said. “Music I listen to usually gives me realistic vibes, ones that I can relate to. Those types of songs usually are the ones to influence me the most.”

Davis believes that attitudes can also affect her everyday life. Different genres of music can cause specific connections. Emotions are evoked depending on how the song portrays a certain feeling whether it’s happiness or sadness or anything between.

“It depends on the different lyrics and aspects of the song,” Davis said. ”Note wise, happy notes sound more uplifted and sad notes sound more dragged.”

Just like Davis, parent Becky Taylor thinks the repercussions are blown out of proportion concerning the message kids are exposed to in music. She has noticed the difference in her generation to the current one with respect to how kids and teens have acted due to music. She notices the difference from the old hip-hop she has listened to.

“Old hip hop actually had meaning and told a story,” Taylor said.”There seems to be no more creativity in today’s hip hop.”

Taylor believes that today’s hip hop is very uncreative due to how repetitive it is. She thinks that since new rap is so unoriginal, it makes people shroud themselves less than how people used to.

“Today’s hip hop lacks creativity because the lyrics are just repeated,” Taylor said. “Instead of being creative there are just several of lines that repeat themselves. The non creative lyrics influence today’s generation by not fully expressing ourselves. Music is meant to express our feeling and with non creative lyrics, there is a lack of expression. This leads to destructive behaviors, like lying, stealing and cheating.”

The way music has modified this time period is massive. Even as the influences have turned, people have began to accept the different ways music affects kids and how it’s changed our generation tremendously.