Marissa Gallardo and Country Music

This semester I was able to take a deeper look at country music, not only through Rhetoric of Country Music but also from my own experiences. I saw Eric Church in concert, watched Nashville, saw Dierks Bentley perform at the Houston Rodeo, and saw the TX State Museum Country Music display.

This semester I was able to take a deeper look at country music, not only through Rhetoric of Country Music but also from my own experiences. I saw Eric Church in concert, watched Nashville, saw Dierks Bentley perform at the Houston Rodeo, and saw the TX State Museum Country Music display.

https://storify.com/marissagallardo/marissa-gallardo-and-country-music

Coming into Rhetoric of Country Music in the beginning of the semester, I expected the majority of the students would be interested in learning more about country music, like I did, but I soon found out that I certainly did not know as much about country music as I believed that I did.  I have been continuously impressed by the knowledge of country music and the vast opinions and tastes of everyone’s unique perspective on country music.

I was excited to begin the country music experience project and also continue enjoying country music as I begin to see it in a new light.  I began the project by brushing up on some country music history in San Marcos on the Texas State campus. I actually stumbled upon their country music display by accident.  Along with other important figures in Texas history, country music artists and live music in Austin specifically has played a very important role.

Both the Dierks Bentley and the Eric Church concerts were incredibly fun.  I had a very unique experience in each of the venues, the Frank Erwin Center and the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo.  A concert is one of the most personal ways you can interact with an artist, and many find that after they go to a concert they find a new appreciation for the artist and their genre; this is all very true for me.  Country music touches the lives of so many people, and a concert gives the audience a shared experience; you connect with the artist and the people around you.  Being able to see country music “in action” in the country music community was the best way to understand how and why country music affects people the way it does.

I have watched Nashville from the very beginning!  My mom and I love having shows that we watch together, and Nashville has been a great addition to the list.  Fusing country music and drama seems like a hard task to accomplish, and it can’t get better than Nashville.  I think it is important as someone who is studying country music on a deeper level that we understand how country music is represented in the general public, outside of die-hard country fans.

This course has certainly shaped the kind of music I have listened through during the semester but, perhaps, not in the way you would expect.  While we focus on country music in class, it has made me more and more interested in other genres, how they function in society and how they relate to country music.  I began listening to country music because of my parents; with that notion, I also reflected in all of the music that I enjoy as a reflection of my parents and siblings.  From Ska to Bakersfield Country to Reggae to Texas Country and back again, my taste of music has expanded, my appreciation of all music continues to grow.