I have always considered myself a fan of country music. Growing up I listened to George Strait, Toby Keith, and Randy Travis and I never really ventured far out of that time period. Everything before them was old and boring and all the new stuff was a bunch of inauthentic pop, that was until I took this class. I now have an appreciation and understanding of the music and the history of the music that came before. I also have opened myself up to new music
1: Oh Brother, Where Art Thou
As a film student I felt compelled to watch a movie that had country music playing a role. I decided to watch “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou” because I am a fan of the Coen Brothers and this film was revolutionary in the the field of color grading (the field I’m hoping to go into). I ended up liking the soundtrack way more than I had anticipated. It was an amazing mix of acoustic blues and bluegrass which fits the period of the 1930s perfectly. I now find myself listening to songs from the 30s and 40s now, which is something I never would have done.
2: Record Shopping
I stopped by Breakaway Records, which is next to Epoch, one of my favorite coffee shops, to go thumb through some country records! I do have a record player and own mostly blues, soundtracks, and one Johnny Cash album so I was hoping to maybe add some more country to the collection! I was happy that I could now recognize many of the names that I previously wouldn’t have been able to. I ended up buying two records: Kenny Rogers and Ernest Tubb. Expanding my collection to songs from the 40s through the 80s is something that I am now really happy about.
3: Watching the CMAs
I had sworn off the CMAs in 2011 after Taylor Swift was named Entertainer of the Year because in my mind she had gone completely pop. I decided that since I was in this class I should watch the CMAs (strictly for academic purposes of course) and while there was still a lot of music that I didn’t like I was so surprised by Chris Stapleton. After watching his performances I went and listened to his album and was blown away. Chris Stapleton has renewed my faith in new country for making such a good album as well as being recognized for it. So not only have I expanded my music back in time but I am glad to say that there is some new country that I like as well.
Taking this class and making an effort to experience country music in more ways has expanded my view on Country Music. I am now familiar with the history of the genre and the influences and tensions that have been present for decades, giving me context for the music and connections to other genres. Experiencing country music in new ways over this semester has expanded my view of country music and I have grown to appreciate it on a much deeper level