Coming into this class I was really unsure of what to expect. Country music was one of my go-to playlists since my parents liked to listen to it on our long car rides, but outside of just casual listening I was clueless about the genre. Looking back to the first assignment in this class where we were asked to identify with one community and explain how that community has shaped our outlook on country music, I can easily say that my view was much more surface-level than I thought. It has been so intriguing studying the history of country music, and the added knowledge and insight from peers has made it a much more attractive learning experience. Personally, it has been exciting to see just how much country music really does play into not only mine, but others’ daily routines, even beyond the classroom. Here are a few things I found to be exciting:
Dance Across Texas (formerly Midnight Rodeo): There aren’t many true dance halls around anymore, but luckily Austin has a few that are easy to take advantage of (though I highly doubt anyone in college refers to them as “dance halls”). One night a group of friends and I all decided to divert from the regular go-to weekend spots and try something different. I broke out my one pair of cowboy boots that my mom bought from a sketchy dude-ranch in San Antonio that I solely wear for football games, and we headed to Dance Across Texas. I’ve got to say, it was so much fun. I had picked up a few line dances from my camp counselor days, and got a little too excited when footloose came on. It was a great experience to be immersed in country music, celebrating it in a way that has been passed through generations, dancing to country songs both old and new.
- Texas Music Magazine: Being that this class began in August of 2015, I was curious as to what had been happening with country music earlier in the year. I went to Texas Music magazine’s February 15th issue, which talked about the upcoming “Big Nac Music Festival,” and was happy to see my girl Miranda as a main story topic. As I read further, it was easy to see that country music was the main focus of the magazine. What we learned in class became visibly true; Texas takes a lot of pride in its large outflow of country stars, even in a mega-small town like Nacogdoches.
The Voice: As a The Voice TV show fan since it’s beginnings in 2011, I was a big advocate for Blake Shelton, the resident country star coach of the show. He recently won Season 7 of the show with Craig Wayne Boyd, a country artist. Three out of the eight total seasons of the show have resulted in a country artist winning it all. This goes to show you that America has got to be a country fan, as they are the main voters. These facts show that the reaches and roots of the genre are far and wide all across the country.Experiencing a timeless celebration of country music through dancing, reading up on past country music feats, and seeing how country music is loved across the nation, has made me truly appreciate country music. It has become a much more renowned genre to me, and I’m thankful to have been able to broaden my country music horizons throughout these experiences and the entire semester in this class. Now when I listen to country music I will be able to enjoy it even more!
Alyssa I think you make a valuable point when you say that it is not just Texas and Tennessee who are obsessed with country music. It doesn’t matter where you come from, your age, your race, your gender–country music relates to everyone and many people love it. It reminds my of what Brad Paisley said in the video we watched in class today. He said that his fans are not just HIS fans, they are fans of country music in general because the genre is so intertwined and like a family. After this class I can definitely agree with Paisley. It seems like no one is really in that big of a competition in the country music world. In the end it is about the music and the devotion to others and less about the stardom and individual success. Sorry that was a tangent but I felt like that was a super important part to what we learned in this class!
I loved reading about your experiences with country music this year! I often forget that there are several people in the class whose lives don’t actually revolve around country music or know more about it than just what they hear on the radio. I love that by going country dancing, reading Texas Music Mag and also watching The Voice while simultaneously taking this class you have found yourself with a more profound view of what country music is. I, too, feel like being in this class and having country music experiences out of class this semester has helped me better understand and grasp the concept of country music. You pointed out that your view of country music at the beginning of the semester has completely evolved and I could not possibly agree more! Thanks for sharing!