Bell & Music.

In class on Monday, we discussed what makes great music so great in terms of Bell's interpretation of art. We came to the conclusion that the hybrid of instrumental music and poetry creates great music and the combination of the two creates such a fusion of poetic grace that what comes out from it is beautiful, even if one of the mediums may not necessarily be deemed as "good" when standing alone.

For example, Bob Dylan's voice alone may cause some to cringe, because let's face it, Dylan's voice isn't exactly the best in American music history. However, when paired with his guitar, harmonica, and lyrics, he's become one of the classic icons of American music that has stood the test of time. His lyrics are considered art because of the beauty and the grace within them, and without the honesty of Dylan's lyrics, Dylan wouldn't have become as popular as he did. The same can be said for The Doors' singer Jim Morrison, whose lyrics were seem as philosophical and intricate when paired with music, but when released as a book of poetry, did not sell well at all. The hybrid of the music and the lyrics made Morrison's words in such a way that the audience was attracted to it.

My question is, "When you listen to music, do you distinguish the music from the lyrics or do you tend to take the piece as a whole and judge it based on the hybridization of the music and the lyrics?"

Response #6.

In Skyla's blog, she asks, "When you are in a sad/depressed mood, do you tend to look at art that also expresses the same mood or do you find more uplifting art appealing? Basically, do you view art that expresses the same mood you are feeling or do you look at art that doesn't correspond to your mood at the time?"

I tend to look and view art that corresponds with whatever mood I'm feeling at the time; for instance, if I'm feeling particularly sad one day, the only music I tend to listen to is slow and tranquil - maybe not necessarily sad - music, that reflects the train of thought I'm in. I find that whenever I listen to more upbeat music, or look at more "upbeat" art that reflects a more positive outlook, it annoys me more than anything else if I'm not following that same pattern of thought. Therefore, when I'm trying to objectively view a piece of artwork, I try to detach my current state of emotions from the piece itself or else my opinion may become incredibly distorted by whatever mood I'm currently in.

My question is, "Do your favorite pieces of art tend to reflect the darker side of the human psyche, or the more lighter aspects of society?"