Facing The Music: An Introduction

Well... This is going to be a new experience for all of us. Welcome to my blog. My name is Gia, born and raised in the DMV! For those of you who do not have never heard the previous acronym, it stands for the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia area which I have grown so much to adore. I am currently a sophomore in college, majoring in Journalism and Media Studies. But that's enough about me, let's face the music.

I would hate to agree with my parents, but most music today lacks substance and unfortunately... talented musicians. My parents raised me listening to Motown Records legendary performers, funky sounds of Earth, Wind and Fire and James Brown, the smooth melodies of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Al Green, and the unparalleled voices of Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan. Now we have "auto-tuned" rappers, and self-proclaimed singers who dominate the Billboard Charts and have flood the airways with their songs about sex, money, and cars.

But, I can not say that there is a notable difference in the content today's songs and those that were written in the greater times of music. Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," and The Isley Brothers, "Between The Sheets," even though we never want to think about this... ever, speak volumes about how we all got to this Earth. The O'Jays, "For the Love of Money" is self explanatory, so I always end up asking myself... what has changed? I think I have figured it out. Our passion. Our passion for life, our passion for love, our passion for the betterment of mankind. All of these musicians had "protest" songs (Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On and The Isley Brothers "Fight the Power") that gave their repertoire balance, and continued to remind their listeners that the world we live in is nowhere near perfect. Now, all we care about is dancing and having a good time. There is nothing wrong with that, we all need to laugh and enjoy our time here, but it seems as though many artists have forgotten that the world we live in still has to progress into perfection.

In the next couple of entries, I am going to introduce a couple of artists who are bringing their own style to the music industry. But that is all for now. I will be back with some artists you should definitely watch out for! I know, I'm sorry... it's like watching a show that ends with a cliff hanger.

Just some food for thought.

Stay Blessed.

Profile of Marvin Gaye
Site Featuring the Isley Brothers