Contributed Post
You might think of listening to music as something passive that you do to relax in the evening after a day at work. But music can also educate when you look to the message behind the lyrics.
What messages are there in music and what can you learn?
It’s Okay To Be Nervous
Musicians know a lot about nerves. An acoustic singer about to go on stage and perform feels naked in front of an audience. As such, many singers and songwriters discuss their nervousness in their lyrics. They point out that it’s okay to be nervous and that it’s something that everyone goes through – even the very best seasoned performers.
Failure Happens, But That’s Normal
Did you know Shakespeare wrote dozens of plays? Can you name all of them? Shakespeare is widely regarded as the most celebrated artist in the English language, yet even he had relative literary failures. While people have heard of Hamlet, Macbeth, and The Merchant of Venice, there are other plays that few remember such as Cymbeline, Timon of Athens, Love’ Labour’s Lost, and Troilus and Cressida.
The same is true of musicians. Many famous musicians have a hit with their first work, and then trail off after that. It seems difficult to keep the originality and standards high over the long term. They know that failure is entirely normal and something that people should embrace and accept as part of life.
Believe In Yourself
Musicians the world over made it to where they are today by believing in their abilities and just getting on with creating incredible music. Many musicians started from the gutter and worked their way up, driven by a passion for what they do. This is why so many songs have a message of hope and progress at their core: the musicians behind the lyrics succeeded, so why can’t you?
You Can’t Achieve Perfection
Have you ever listened to a piece of music over and over again and begun to notice flaws? If so, you’re not alone. Although modern studios try to cut out missed notes and odd timings as much as possible with electronic equipment, true artistry doesn’t lie in perfection – it lies in making great art; something genuinely evocative. Some musicians, especially those on the rock end of the spectrum, are perfectly happy to leave a song just shy of perfection. The imperfections often add to the experience.
Be Curious
When you’re no longer curious, life starts to get dull. You stop learning new things, meeting new people, and exposing yourself to new ideas. Musicians know this, and so they’re keen to get the message across that you should be curious about new experiences; otherwise, you’ll stagnate as a human being. What could you be more curious about?
Competition Is Not The Enemy
If musicians saw each other as competitors, then we would never get incredible collaborations. The truth is that most musicians are simply working on things that they like as artists and then sharing them with the world. They aren’t thinking about other people in the industry and what they may or may not be doing.
