Postive music..."Imagine" that

July 9, 2:48 AMNY Social Awareness ExaminerStephanie Tello

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When you turn on the radio, what do you hear?

 I’m sure it’s the same mindless dribble that I hear, something along the lines of riding on disco sticks, and having birthday sex with every woman in the world.

 What happened to making music that motivates and inspires, as well as entertains!?

 Watching Jackson’s memorial yesterday made me realize that maybe his impact on our world had to do with the fact that he tried to make us conscious of  our world. Songs like “Man in the Mirror,” “Heal the World,” and “Earth Song” all tried to send a positive message about the power of an individual to became a catalyst for change. I’m sure most people didn’t go out and protest for environmental rights but even becoming more aware of the issue was a start.

 Mainstream music seldom does this nowadays. The only socially conscious song that I can really think of in recent years is “Waiting on the World to Change” by John Mayer, and you have to put on Lite FM to hear it. The youth of America isn’t listening to John Mayer, Michael Jackson or John Lennon. They are listening to Lil’ Wayne talking about licking “lollipops” and Beyonce singing about a big “ego.” It doesn’t take a genius to get the sexual innuendos present in this song. My 13 year old students know exactly what the ego is masking for and besides making me uncomfortable, it also breaks my heart.

 Not only are these children over sexed, but they are also being taught that women are sexual objects and nothing more. Listen to  The Ying Yang Twins’ “Whisper Song” or watch, if you can even stomach it, Nelly’s “Tipdrill” video, the objectification of women is disgusting. Moreover, society’s acceptance of it is frightening, and I see the effects of it in my classroom every single day.

 I try to introduce positive music in the classroom anytime I can but most times it gets criticized before they can even listen to the lyrics. John Lennon’s “Imagine” is one of my favorite songs to play during the Anne Frank unit, and this year they laughed throughout the whole thing. They were so put off by the new sound of  the music, that they couldn’t even let the words sink into their heads. I try but the mainstream music is more powerful than I am. Every year it gets more vulgar and offensive and every year the kids get more disrespectful and foul mouthed.

 Despite all the problems Michael Jackson encountered as a person, I wish that more people would be like him as an artist.  We are falling apart and if the world needed healing 15 years ago then it needs massive life saving surgery right now.

 When all else fails, music speaks. So why is no one speaking?