Nostalgias' Encouragment of "Good Music"

By Liv Foust

This post includes the contect of my first assessment for my 'This is Music' class. We were prompted to make a lecture response discussing what males "good music."

The conclusion of deciding which certain types of music we find "good" is often encouraged by the environment of our upbringing, or lack there of. Taste is cultivated through what we are presented with, e.g. the music our parents listen to, what we learn in school, and what plays on the radio. Our brains love patterns, and the recognition of melodic and instrumental patterns triggers a very important feeling: nostalgia. As an American immigrant, I find myself searching for licks of what I used to experience and feel back home. The driving force of my nostalgic endeavour is country music. The sound of its instrumental simplicity rung through my ears, and every radio station on the drive home from school.

As discussed by Jeremy in the week 2 lecture, the ambiance of the sounds and instruments played in a piece of music can make us feel certain ways in our body [1]. I was immediately encouraged think about my relationship with country music, and why my upbringing makes it such a staple in my nostalgic escapes. The sound of instruments including the steel guitar, mandolin, banjo and fiddle cause me to have this bodily reaction. I begin to feel butterflies, smell pine trees and taste lemonade. Nostalgia is the feeling of a "sentimental yearning for… an irrecoverable condition." [2] Guilty pleasures for a particular artist, genre or song are often ignited through their nostalgic essence. We cannot return to the moment we long for, so we recreate it using sound. In my case, the ache for a feeling that is impossible has evolved into a overwhelming love and appreciation for country music. The way my mind and body reacts to the unique elements of the genre allows me to respond warmly to a type of music often labelled at simple, one dimensional or bad.

Country music, as a story telling genre, relies on the aesthetics of the sound to place the lister in a moment. John Dyck argues that the simplicity of country music makes it "aesthetically valuable" rather than the argument, "aesthetically deficient." He argues that good country songs are often the ones that are uncomplicated [3], for example: one of the most recognisable songs of all time, 'You Are My Sunshine' By Jimmie Davis [4]. The use of straightforward lyrics and melodies highlights what country music is to me, and many others: an escape. The listener is able to relax into the warm, buzzy feeling without having to exude unnecessary energy trying to understand the 'greater meaning' behind the story. This makes the country music genre extremely accessible to all levels of age, education and belief. In lecture 2 I was particularly interested in Catherine Inghams' research on Kam Big Song, a style of song performed by the women of Kam, China. I connected with their value of lyrics, and the importance they have in song. Similarly to country music, the lyrics used in Kam Big Song highlights their every day life [5]. I related to the feeling that they get when they perform, a feeling of being transported when listening to familiar lyrics, and the community that arises from the music. Good music does not need to have an extremely articulate structure to have value, be respected and enjoyed, it can just be enjoyed.

John Dyck and Matt Johnson argue that while we may believe a certain part of an artwork is bad, we can still enjoy it as a whole experience [6]. I partially relate to this, as most of the time I enjoy country music because I find it to be good. But I cannot deny, sometimes a country song can be too country. I find myself thinking "wow this is awful… I love it." the value behind listening to country music is where I am transported. It brings me comfort and solidarity, grounding me back home when I feel stranded in a big world. As John Dyck quotes: "Country music helps people become who they are, even when their location wont" [7].

When asked what I believe to be "good" music, I often find myself scrambling away from my first response. My favourite genre, country, is good music to me. The frantic reaction I have to the question is one that I developed by understanding that my opinion is not a common one. There is little relatability in my immediate community when it comes to the genre, and minimal academic/philosophical attention [8]. The themes discussed in lecture 2 [9] elevated my perspective and confidence towards the question of why we find certain music to be "good." In recognising the impact that our upbringing has on our nostalgic reactions, I have been able to recognise why I have such a deep connection with the country music genre, and why the aural experience of coming home feels so good.

Footnotes

[1] Jeremy, "Week 2 Lecture Recording" (Lecture, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, February 27th, 2023).

[2] “Nostalgia Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed March 8, 2023, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nostalgia, 1.

[3] John Dyck, "Aesthetics of Country Music" To appear in Philosophy Compass, April 14th, 2021: 1, https://philpapers.org/archive/DYCTAO.pdf

[4] Jimmie Davis' "You Are My Sunshine", YouTube (YouTube, 2016), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckKeQNCyPBU,

1.

[5] Catherine Inghams, "Week 2 Lecture Recording" (Lecture, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, February 27th, 2023).

[6] John Dyck and Matthew Johnson, "Appreciating Bad Art" The Journal of Value Inquiry 51, August 19th, 2016: 1, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10790-016-9569-2#citeas

[7] Dyck, The Aesthetics of Country Music, 4.

[8]Dyck, The Aesthetics of Country Music, 1.

[9] Jeremy, Week 2 Lecture Recording, 1.

Bibliography

Jeremy, "Week 2 Lecture Recording" Lecture, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, February 27th, 2023.

“Nostalgia Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster.

Merriam-Webster. Accessed March 10, 2023. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nostalgia.

Dyck, John. "The Aesthetics of Country Music" To appear in Philosophy Compass April 14th, 2021: Pages 1-19. https://philpapers.org/archive/DYCTAO.pdf

mrblindfreddy9999. Jimmie Davis' "You Are My Sun

shine" (1940). YouTube. YouTube, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckKeQNCyPBU.

Inghams, Catherine, "Week 2 Lecture Recording" Lecture, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, February 27th, 2023.

Dyck, John and Matt Johnson. "Appreciating Bad Art" The Journal of Value Inquiry 51 (2007), Page 1. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10790-016-9569-2#citeas