Country Music Project

Country music has had a strangely impactful influence on my life. From serving as the feature music on my car rides to school to dominating the atmosphere at the beloved Houston rodeo, it has always pretty much been around. That said, I never really knew much about the history of country music until taking this class. One of the best parts of taking Rhetoric of Country Music is the requirement that I experience interesting country themed activities. Here are the activities I did during the time I was enrolled in this class!

Line Dancing at Rock-a-thon

Just this passed week, my fraternity hosted Rock-a-thon, a philanthropy event in which one person rocks in a chair for 24 straight hours. While this may not be so exciting for the person sitting in the rocking chair, we made sure to include some activities for the audience to enjoy while the rocker rocked. We brought guest speakers, offered cheap food, and even provided an extra rocking chair for anyone who wished to keep our poor rocker company. However, the best part of the event came between hours 22 and 24 when The Enigmatic Strangers, a band featuring several AEPi brothers, performed in front of the crowd. They played line dancing music and everyone danced and had a good time. We raised over $3,400 for the American Cancer Society and had a fun time in the process. Though it was not the focus, country music served an role as part of the festivities. I cannot say for certain that we would have raised as much money as we did without having the final 2 hour stretch of line dancing to the music played by The Enigmatic Strangers.

Houston Rodeo

Who can forget the Houston Rodeo! I have already written about my incredible experience last year at Blake Shelton’s concert. I (of course) went back to the rodeo this year a couple times, but had a somewhat different experience. This year, I went to see Florida Georgia Line and Kenny Chesney. Though I expected Florida Georgia Line to…not meet expectations, I was somewhat disappointed with Kenny Chesney’s performance. He struggled to captivate the crowd, and his songs did not sound great. Though the sound was not entirely his fault because of the acoustics in the building, I did not think he performed like the superstar he is. That said, I have been complaining too much because those nights were really two of the best nights I have had this year! My best friends and I attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and thoroughly enjoyed watching rodeo stars we will not remember . We imagined ourselves having grown up in a rural town, competing in front of thousands of people to hold onto a bucking bronco the longest amount of time. All in all, we loved our trips to the rodeo and cannot wait until next year’s rodeo season.

Watching Walk the Line (2005)

I watched Walk the Line (2005) without high expectations. I was pleasantly surprised with how well Joaquin Phoenix played Johnny Cash, and how much I learned about Cash’s life. The scene when June agreed to marry him seemed forced, but nonetheless brought forth some emotions (my friend might have shed a tear). I thought it was really cool how important music was to rescuing his life, and his performance at the Folsom Prison really hit the nail on the head.

These three experiences greatly impacted my spring semester of 2016. Because of this class, I not only gained knowledge about a music genre I love, but I also made memories I will remember forever. Dusty, thank you for a great semester and good luck next year! It is an honor to have been in your last class at the University of Texas.

CMA’s

Now, I had never seen the CMA’s or paid much attention, but this year, my love of country music started, so I decided to give it a shot. The commercial breaks seemed to take forever, but whenthe time came for my favorite performance, it was worth it. I’m a big Timberlake fan. I grew up with his music. Whether it was NSYNC or he as a solo artist, JT was always on my iTunes. That’s what made watching the 49^th CMA’s so much more interesting. Seeing Chris Stapleton win best new artist and Traveller win Album of the Year was not the best moment, in my eyes, for Stapleton. The best moment was when he paired with the Justin for something amazing – a performance for the ages. The performance of Justin’s hit “Drink You Away,” and Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey,” made it a night to remember. Seeing this really made me appreciate the power of country music, bringing two worlds together and pulling it off. It still gives me chills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ybQoKont8g

Live Music

What’s the first thing you do when you’re getting ready for a concert? Turn on that artist’s music and learn the lyrics. Luckily this artist has only released four songs – Tyler Dial, but he covers a hell of a lot of them. He performed at Round Up for Pike, and I was lucky enough to see it. The man is skilled, and listening to him sing the songs that I have on my phone was pretty cool to see, as a friend. He made the stage his own, and commanded everyone to get off their feet with his energy. Even when he wasn’t singing, his excitement and guitar skills got everyone pumped up. He made it seem like more than just a performance by a kid. Click below to see the video!

MOV_1307

Guitar

Here’s my first guitar. I got it as a gift this year, and haven’t stopped playing. I don’t know how much it cost, but to me it’s priceless. It has opened so many doors for me, learning how to play this instrument. I notice things in performances now that I didn’t see before. I appreciate Prince’s music that much more now than I did, and the same goes for Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, and all others who have noticeable guitar shredding skills.

These three events or instances have helped me grow with music, but specifically country music. With the CMA’s – I don’t normally watch country awards, but sitting and watching it through and through, I learned a lot about what new artists or old artists should be relevant in my definition of country. This class helped me define my version of country. Seeing Tyler perform – He performed for an hour and a half…that’s a lot of country music. Most of the songs I had heard, but seeing him get such a great reaction from the crowd from the ones I hadn’t heard made me want to gain more knowledge. This class provided me with that knowledge. The guitar – learning this thing was a reward, but learning from it, I can’t describe. I’ve made so many new connections and friends from playing for the crowds that stroll into my room, or by meeting up with friends who sing and play as well. Also, I’ve realized that country music is real. The beats and sounds made from rap or hip-hop can’t be played on a guitar, but the chords and sounds for country are from guitar. This class helped me learn that sound.