SING our voice

When we discussed the birth of this website, it was important for us that this would become more than just a tool for promoting our music.we wanted to promote our vision, our common sense, our opinions and feelings about anything and everything that touches our generation and the world we live in.

This is a page open to all, and if you would like to post your opinion, send an email at ourvoice@singband.com

“Has music lost its voice?”
By Fred Auclair

Not all music needs to be engaged and serve a higher purpose. Not all artists need to go fight for our planet. In a sense, I like the fact that music can be just pleasing, soothing, trivial, silly, tragic, energetic… There’s nothing better on a summer day, than to drive real fast while the speakers of your car are belching an AC/DC song. Letting everyone around you know that, some girl once, shook you all night long!!! Music is supposed to be fun and this article does not debate or criticise that aspect. On the contrary, it’s part of what makes music great. That said, music as an art also serves a greater purpose, one of being the voice of the people.

Music in our society has always been a reflection of its time, a voice, a media for the common man to express his views, socially and politically. A place to express a wide palette of emotions, a ground to promote new ideas, to shout our discontentment and disapproval of certain practices in our society. Music is powerful, and used by the right artist, it has the power to accomplish great things. When Bob Marley wanted to unite nations he sang. When Lennon wanted to make peace, he sang. When America positioned itself against the Vietnam War, artists sang. When we wanted to come in aid to third world countries such as the “we are the world” project, well again, they sang. Recently, the 2005 live 8 concert was an attempt to reclaim the power that music once had; to mobilize the masses, to educated and touch people, to bring us together to accomplish something greater.

Even though Live 8 raised over 30 million names for their petition against poverty and the G8 promise to re-evaluate international trading rules and to cancel the debts off some the poorest countries; something was missing. Somehow, something failed. What ??? Why??? Sure, the politicians made some promises and people talked about it for a couple of days. But what did they really talk about, the issues? The fact is that the international trading rules ensure the wealth of the richest countries on earth while ensuring the stagnancy of the poorest ones. Did they talk about the enormous debts theses countries must pay to us? As if we need it!!! Money that could be used for food, healthcare, education… Not really. Instead, they talk about U2, Coldplay and other bands’ performances, forgetting the meaning of the event and focusing more on the concert. Classic case of acknowledging more the package than the content. Supposedly 3 billion people watched the concert. Only 1% signed their name for the petition!!!???

You see, something has changed in the last 30 years, music HAS lost partially its voice. I’m sure you want to know why? Well I’ll tell ya real simple: music is no longer an art, it’s entertainment. A cheap bi-product of its former self, employed and marketed for a unique purpose: profit. What’s the problem with making money you say??? There’s none and yet, there is.

Before, culture was defined by the work and philosophy of artists. Ideas, views and opinions were exchanged through this unique form of art. Fashion and style were defined not by the designer and fashion industry but by the artists that were creating them. Using not only their art but their style as a medium for their philosophy. The Hippies and the peace and love movement was more than just music, more than just clothing, it was a way of life. A rebellion against a right winged rigid nation, whose views on families, sex, drugs, music and human rights, especially the right of expression, were retarded. Grunge positioned itself as anti-rock, anti –fashion, anti-stardom, putting an end to the glamorous hair band era (and thank god for that). A more minimalist approach to music, a more toned down lifestyle. It wasn’t about the babes, the cash, the cars, it was about the music and being true.

Music was a powerful medium, one that could reach millions of people, one that could mobilise a nation, and one that could change everything. A power, a resource too valuable to be used by artists or the common man. (And one that could be very profitable).

So what Happened? They (The Corporations, the music industry and all the suits whose only goal is to create profit) decided to apply packaging, marketing strategies to music; they decided not to view it as art, but as entertainment ( worse, a product of entertainment). The goal isn’t to make music anymore, but to sell it. More time is spent on the look, the image, and the producing of the artist than on the actual song writing. When more time is spent on the package, than on the content, we soon forget about the content. Musicians and singers lost their power because they are no longer artists, but a product, a brand name.

Along those lines, we saw the birth of the Britney’s and the Christina’s of pop. The birth of a thousand little punk bands that didn’t have any content but just wanted to be rock stars and fuck models. The emergence of dozens of rappers and hip hop artists that are just following the trends and not bringing anything new to the table. Always promoting the same shit, girls dressed like whores, big fake tits, the tuned up cars, the shiny jewellery, the guns and the mob attitude of the ghettos. I thought that rap, soul, and hip hop were voices from the hood, trying to elevate the people, and educated them. A voice that could lift their soul and empower them to achieve more than the ghetto life.

How can a nation be moved by a guy that talks about fucking girls or kicking somebody’s ass, or dealing drugs? How can a little teenage “punker” whose talking about high school life being so hard cause he’s not trendy enough, be able to stop wars and make peace. How can you take example on artists that put out more skin than actual vocal talent? You can’t!!!! And I don’t blame you. But by letting the industry treat our art and artists like a product, we have given up a medium that once had the power to unite us all, to bring peace and understanding. To shoot out common sense when companies and governments are going a-wall. Where are the Marley’s, the Dylan’s, the Lennon’s, the Morrison’s, the Geldof’s, the U2s of our time? Sure, some bands try to elevate music to its former self. I applaud Green Day for their latest album. Their conviction and opposition of the Bush administration is remarkable. Other bands are getting involved with charity or others humanitarian organisation like Coldplay…

It’s time to follow in these footsteps and regain control of our art, our media, our voice.