Rock to the Left:
How Rock Music Has Influenced American Politics
One universal aspect of every culture, without fail, is music; it was a part of human existence before recorded history. It provides an escape from the stress of everyday life, assists in relaxation, and offers a sense of community. It’s a part of the human experience. Every aspect of society includes music in some form—from shopping to concerts. Why? It affects people. Yamaska, Yamada, and Laukka conducted a study and concluded that environments can be perceived differently simply because of the type of song played. A high stress environment can become more serene when mellow music is on the air; likewise, a calm environment can feel even calmer with peaceful music (72). Not …show more content…
John Orman, in his book The Politics of Rock Music, states:
The late 1960s and early 1970s have been referred to by many as an “age of protest” among the younger generation. The term “movement” has been used to cover an almost endless stream of political persuasions: the black movement, the civil rights movement, the antiwar movement, the student rights movement, the women’s movement, the Chicano movement, the Puerto Rican movement, the gay movement, and the American Indian movement. The political attitudes of various movement people on selected issues usually ranged from liberal to radical, and there was an emphasis by some movement leaders on creating “actions.” (23)
With the plethora of “movements” calling for social equality, the youth of the counterculture movement were drawn to the bands that articulated these values; even the bands that weren’t blatantly political were still promoting peace and love, a message that resonated the social climate. Going to a concert was like entering a community of like-minded people, somewhere where they could be understood. They felt like they belonged to a group that could get things done—and the bands were their leaders (Hibbard et al. …show more content…
Musicians are active members of movements; as opposed to authors who write about the climate in hindsight, or filmmakers who can take years to produce a movie. Music is immediate (Orman 155). The counterculture movement that was led by rock musicians that inspired the youth and captured the essence of their values. This gave the youth of the sixties a community of like-minded people that they could feel understood them. They failed to bring immediate change to society; but they did raise awareness about the issues of peace, and social
How Rock Music Has Influenced American Politics
One universal aspect of every culture, without fail, is music; it was a part of human existence before recorded history. It provides an escape from the stress of everyday life, assists in relaxation, and offers a sense of community. It’s a part of the human experience. Every aspect of society includes music in some form—from shopping to concerts. Why? It affects people. Yamaska, Yamada, and Laukka conducted a study and concluded that environments can be perceived differently simply because of the type of song played. A high stress environment can become more serene when mellow music is on the air; likewise, a calm environment can feel even calmer with peaceful music (72). Not …show more content…
John Orman, in his book The Politics of Rock Music, states:
The late 1960s and early 1970s have been referred to by many as an “age of protest” among the younger generation. The term “movement” has been used to cover an almost endless stream of political persuasions: the black movement, the civil rights movement, the antiwar movement, the student rights movement, the women’s movement, the Chicano movement, the Puerto Rican movement, the gay movement, and the American Indian movement. The political attitudes of various movement people on selected issues usually ranged from liberal to radical, and there was an emphasis by some movement leaders on creating “actions.” (23)
With the plethora of “movements” calling for social equality, the youth of the counterculture movement were drawn to the bands that articulated these values; even the bands that weren’t blatantly political were still promoting peace and love, a message that resonated the social climate. Going to a concert was like entering a community of like-minded people, somewhere where they could be understood. They felt like they belonged to a group that could get things done—and the bands were their leaders (Hibbard et al. …show more content…
Musicians are active members of movements; as opposed to authors who write about the climate in hindsight, or filmmakers who can take years to produce a movie. Music is immediate (Orman 155). The counterculture movement that was led by rock musicians that inspired the youth and captured the essence of their values. This gave the youth of the sixties a community of like-minded people that they could feel understood them. They failed to bring immediate change to society; but they did raise awareness about the issues of peace, and social