Musical Integrity
Jenny brought up an interesting point on my Alice Cooper entry, earlier this week (by the way, “Poison” which is my favourite Alice song is stuck in my head like whoaaaa, because I listened to it about 10 times today. Good song). Her father is a musician, and harbours the typical attitude I would expect from most non-manufactured musicians. He dislikes digital manipulation and the decline of decent songwriting. It’s a respectable standpoint, that’s for sure. Jenny finds herself affected by his viewpoint, and is unimpressed by singers who do not write their own music.
For a while, I think I shared this opinion, but then I think a lot of people would say they do, in an attempt to be one of those deep musical connoisseurs. They want to be seen as someone strictly enjoying the music for its artistic and poetic merits, but without any concrete reason as to why they feel that way.
When I really took time to think about it, I realized that my opinion has changed, and that I am okay with singers just singing and songwriters just songwriting. Because I am me (Ling, author of this blog since 2006, if you’ve forgotten), I will now equate this to something related to the Internet:
So, you have web developers, and you have web designers. Sometimes, you have people who are both, but often it just comes down to certain people being good at the back end stuff like coding, and other people being good at the aesthetic part like design. Singers and songwriters are the same way. Sometimes, they are both, yes, but sometimes someone who is extremely good with words is completely tone deaf. Or, someone who can sing like a choir of angels can’t form the phrases to express their emotions. It happens. Does that mean their talents should be hidden away forever, because they aren’t the full package deal? Of course not. Together, people can work and create something really beautiful, or interesting, or cool, or necessary.
Jen also equated those who do not write their own music to those who sing karaoke. Well, let me tell you, I can sing some mean karaoke, but I will never be as cool as Michael Buble, or the contestants in the top 5 of American Idol, or the cast of Glee– all really great performers, who more often than not are singing songs written by other people. And not even songs written for them, like in the case of most manufactured pop artists, but songs that were, in a lot of cases, written before they were even born!
Yes, I dislike auto-tune, so I will give you that, but I don’t agree that music should be written off based on the performer, or the writer. It should be judged of its own merit.
What do you think?
ETA, 12 hours later… Okay, so it seems as though most of you feel that songs being sung by the original songwriter are more emotional and easier to relate to. Fair enough, but what about actors? Do you find it difficult to relate to them when they are connecting with the emotions in a given piece of dialogue? What about you? When you listen to a song, do you find yourself unable to connect with the words, and the meaning, and the melody, simply because you did not write it?
Upon further discussion with Jenny (whom I do not think is a snob, by the way, I just find all of this interesting), we got into all the songwriters out there who want to be singers, but struggle because they are not Miley Cyrus (or something to the effect). Someone once told me that despite what my mother may have told me, I am not a special snowflake (granted, they probably did not know me very well at the time, because I am rather “special”). Not everyone is going to achieve their dreams. It’s the reality of the world. So, do you give up music forever, and go be the best special snowflake garbage man you can be, or do you keep yourself in the industry that you love, even if that means sacrificing being a performer?
So far there are 12 comments on the entry “Musical Integrity”. Jump in and add your own!
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When I’m not making the Internet pretty & functional at my day job, I can be found snapping photographs, having dinner with friends, listening to kickass music, fiddling with one of my many Apple products or shopping for new & exciting sweaters. 
I won’t automatically discredit an artist if they don’t write their own music, but I find I do prefer music written by the artist themselves. I just feel as if they’re more passionate about what they’re singing about/playing.
That being said, I think Girls Aloud are amazing. The songs they’ve written themselves suck and they should just stick to the awesome stuff Xenomania write for them!
I agree that some people have major writing talent but no singing capabilities.
I’ve always thought an artist should write their own music, but I’m beginning to see why there should be a line in between. Basically, I can respect someone who writes their own songs or just performs them. But, on first listen, I’m more enthusiastic about someone who writes their own songs. I feel like I can relate to them and their emotions better.
I knew you would use the web design/web developer analogy. You’re getting predictable, Ling.
I find myself more attracted on an emotional level to bands who write their own lyrics, but I can appreciate anything. To me, the lyrics are more important than the talent in a lot of cases, so I think that’s why. But, yeah, I still love Avril, and she sure as hell doesn’t write her own music. :P
Well I definitely agree about that music should be judged of its own merit. I guess this is more my personal preference that I prefer imperfect tunes (I mean I still hope you stay in tune better than I do… although if you are doing dirty punk, who cares, it’s the attitude and message that matters). I don’t like clean pop sounds because it misses the edge most of the time. One might ask that what do I know about music and making of it. Well truth is that nothing else than that what sounds good to my unmusical ear. You don’t need to make your own music to touch my heart but execution matters.
Actually dunno if I made any sense, it’s way past of my sleep time, but I’ll comment anyway, because I’m kinda passionate about this subject.
I don’t listen to a lot of music, but when I do, I’ve never cared about who wrote the song or if it’s popular or the personal life of the artist… In any case, that was a great analogy because I’ve never thought of it that way!
Literally, as I was reading that, I was like “HEY THAT’S LIKE WEB DESIGNERS AND WEB DEVELOPERS.” AND THEN YOU SAID IT.
I agree.
Let me clarify and say that I don’t think people that don’t write their own music are awful people. But I do think they are a product. Miley Cyrus and most pop singers are amalgamated music product, picked for a beauty/handsomeness, the right kind of voice, and a way to be packaged by a record company. This is why there are no indie singers, just indie musicians. I don’t feel a song coming from them the same way I do from Tegan and Sara or Joan Baez or someone who has a real control of the emotions involved in the song.
And I love musicals, so obviously I don’t hate people who don’t write their own music, but I am doing something differently when I am watching a musical: musicals are theater, but music is poetry.
Anyhow, I know I just sound like an awful snob
I don’t care either way. I listen to the music anyway, and base it on the songs, some songs I like better than other songs. That’s just the way it is. I’ve never really shown any interest in who wrote it, or who’s in the band of the single person singing or anything either.
I mean, I’m one of those people that will love a band, and cannot name a single person who plays guitar or drums or sings the songs :P
I’d consider an artist more talented if he/she wrote and sang music and did both well, but I appreciate the merits of both as separate entities.
Back in my snobbish indie kid days, I was of the opinion that if you don’t write what you sing then you’re not worth my time. Now, not so much. Even though, the majority of my music is written by the performers, I don’t look down upon singers who are purely entertainers. I can relate to a song if I can relate to the lyrics and if the singer can relate to them. A lot of my favourite artists have done several covers, some even full covers albums and I love them and can feel the songs because they can. I can enjoy and feel John Lennon singing Please Mister Postman (which is a cover) as much as I can enjoy and feel him sing Strawberry Fields Forever.
I don’t care about who writes the song or if it’s auto-tuned. My only standard for music is that I enjoy listening to it. It’s an added bonus if I can relate to it or it evokes some emotion. But generally the emotion evoked by music for me is “Woohoo it’s party time!” Which is, in my opinion, the best emotion there is. :P
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