Week 9 Blog Forum

TOPIC 1: MUSIC'S INFLUENCE 
As a creative type, I try to appreciate art in all forms. I experience the world around me as art. When I look out the window I see colors and patterns and boxes the way most people see a landscape. I always have a song (or three) in my head and a bad day can always be cured by flipping through one of my dozen or so art books. 


I am always looking for something that speaks to me and makes me feel -- I think that  is what art is all about. 

Music has always been important to me. I enjoy most genres, but a huge part of my appreciation for music is the lyrics. When a song has a lyrics that does nothing for me, I have a hard time enjoying the song. 

I feel like artists should never be restricted in terms of what they create. When an artist creates something it's like they are using bits of their own soul to do so. I don't think anyone can ever fully understand the content of the art besides the creator, hardly giving critics room to judge. 

There is plenty of music out there, however, with absolutely raunchy lyrics. The music isn't artistic, the words don't flow together well, and the content is extremely explicit. I don't think that's a problem, I just think it's bad art. But what makes art good or bad? Who's to label it?

A blank canvas can sell for millions. 

I grew up listening to old country music and 80's pop. The content was fairly suggestive, and my mother wasn't always happy to hear me singing along to it, but the music was artistic. 

I lived in a small town that had a Christian station, a country station, a pop station, and OPB. The pop station was always skipped over in our car because it was all "garbage." My brothers and their cowboy pride weren't impressed with the content of pop of the lifestyles of the artists (because, you know, Willie Nelson and Hank Williams are such great role models).

It wasn't until my brothers (and their ancient CDs) moved out that I started exploring the music world. I started listening to pop and when I worked out I even threw a little Eminem into the mix. There was all this new music at my fingertips that I could feel and relate to. It was an amazing experience. 

The content isn't always something I wan't my grandma to hear, but its art. Why is it ok for Willie Nelson to sing about a whore house but not ok for rappers? I personally don't care much for rap, but I really don't think people should get so worked up about it. 

I love the diversity in music the way I love the diversity in any art form. I'm really not the type to obsess over a band or genre, I just like music that makes me feel something. Whether it takes me back to my first heart break or remembering the songs my dad used to sing in the tractor. I listen to Skillet when I'm cleaning the house, to Dwight Yokem as I sew, to Daughtry on the air plane, to Johnny Cash as I paint, to Michael Buble when I cook. I love Pandora and Spotify because I love finding new music on my Alternative station and finding music I haven't heard in a decade on my Old Country station. 

There are a lot of songs out there with lyrics that are really explicit, but that's the beauty of America. I can choose not to listen to it. 

End of story. 

TOPIC 2: CAMPUS RADIO -- A group of students is checking out the possibility of launching a radio station based at LBCC.  

I think it's a really fun idea! I would love to have something like that!

I do not, however, think that it would take off. Linn-Benton's varied array of students come from all walks of life. I think it would be extremely difficult to find enough content to air that would appealing to enough students to support the station. 

It also seems like the number of students who are still consumers of radio might be low. Many of us listen to radio in the car, but I'm sure that's about it. 

In terms of music, I think it would be fun to feature local bands every once in a while. I also think it would be fun to feature music from all different genres like they did in the old days. As far as content goes it would be interesting to hear about different classes that can be taken from LB and clubs to get involved with. It might be fun to have a "Student of the Day" that's just a random student selected from the sidewalk to just share a little about their lives -- something like what you see with the Humans of New York page on Facebook.

I think the best way to fund something like this would be to make it an online radio station. First of all it wouldn't cost much to create. They could benefit from the station the way bloggers can benefit from a website. Banners, pop-up, and commercial ads mixed with the content would probably be a good way. They could team up with the Commuter and Student Leadership to keep up the content. 

This format would also allow the use of videos and podcasts. Maybe the computer science and graphic arts students could even get involved! I think it would be a great way to collaborate and create the best content from LBCC's best resources. As the traffic went up, the more the ad revenue would go up.