Defined Country

CMA’s

JustinNow, 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 49th 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.

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!

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Guitar

IMG_1944Here’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.

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