Do you feel sorry for today's kids?

Well, that could be a general question, but I mean specifically about music.

I know it's standard for every generation to complain about the music of later generations, but really it's always true. Barring some massive revolutions music has been on a general decline through the 20th/21st century. And I say this as a kid of the 80s: I knew, listening to my parents' music, that it was better than the music I was hearing.

Occasionally I will have the misfortune of hearing some modern music and I'm just amazed at how uncreative and boring it is. Right now we're experiencing a new love affair with the 'singer' (even though all modern singers use AutoTune and other nonsense) so musicianship isn't a huge thing ... but still, the music is pretty lazy and uninteresting.

I have seen some drummers try to fight this perception by learning and teaching technique to play modern music - there's a video of how to play dubstep on the drumset, for example. But it just depresses me. It's so basic and boring. Compare that to the mid-1900's jazz greats, or some of the better 60's/70's rock drummers, or even some of the grunge drummers (Matt Cameron, Jimmy Chamberlain) and it's just ... sad.

Makes me wonder what will happen to the instrument over the course of this century. Will drums as we know them exist in 2099?
 
You're comparing the best of previous decades with what you currently hear on the radio. There is plenty good stuff around now, just as there was plenty dreadful stuff in every previous decade.

Take off the rose tinted rearview spectacles and play on the lawn with the kids. You just might like it.
 
I think you're definitely overgeneralizing things here. It's all about where you're listening to music. If it's on the radio, all you'll hear is pop and such (usually; it's POPular for a reason).

It really depends on what you're in to. If I listen to metal or prog, then there's absolutely nothing uncreative about the music being created, it's just an evolution of its previous incarnations. To be fair though, you can only do so much before the new starts sounding similar to the old, which is where you get issues with originality (although that's another debate entirely).

But no, all-in all, I think it depends on where the music is coming from. Loads of people love to play all sorts of genres, that are in no way boring or uncreative. I think there'll always be a love for jazz, prog, etc., and although it may eventually become a niche market, no, I don't feel bad for today's kids. I think it's up to them to make the decision to listen to and play the "good stuff". I think it all goes through phases, and what's POPular now won't always be in the limelight.

FYI, I guess you could say I am one of "today's kids", and to be honest, what I hear on the radio makes me sad; sad that we think this is acceptable "music". But I most certainly DO enjoy playing plenty of modern stuff that isn't pop or what have you.

Cheers! :)
 
I feel sorry for young people for coming into a world with huge population and environmental issues.

But I envy their access to the incredible range of music available online. Everything from the early greats around the birth of jazz all the way to classy new music (outside of the putrid corporate pop scene, of course).
 
Well I was going to write something like "geez you're sounding really old"

but I simply echo the eloquent reply by Polly - Grea - Anon La Ply

Times change, take from the past what you like or need and face the wind.
 
what I hear on the radio makes me sad

The radio does not exist to expose the masses to culture, musical talent, or great writing. It exists so that corporations can wirelessly extrude money from consumers.

Occasionally, the two seem to be aligned (quality music and radio). Every 10 years or so the real deal comes along and the whole thing reboots. It happened in the late 60's. happened in late 70's. Happened in the early 80's. Happened in the early 90's. Happened in 2002-2003. The music and bands were there the whole time, it's just that radio rides the previous formula till the milk goes sour and then gets pulled back to reality.

I really think the internet has fixed this in a way. I go to youtube looking for the Temples, and by the end of the night am watching some other totally great britpop that was linked. Soo many great bands.
 
Times change, take from the past what you like or need and face the wind.

Nice poetry. It makes a good combo with Kamak's "The radio does not exist to expose the masses to culture, musical talent, or great writing. It exists so that corporations can wirelessly extrude money from consumers" :)

Yep, there's tons of skilled players coming out of music school (or out from behind their laptops) with some clever blending of older ideas coming out - away from the mainstream:

Cellists playing Thunderstruck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT3SBzmDxGk

Jose James mixing jazz, funk and hip hop with a touch of Gil Scott-Heron. Super classy and some nifty glitchy beats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLm5IVeip0c

And some techno (like any other style) is highly creative and good listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_09CMHj8c0

Have said that, I'm a retro gal - never really left the 70s and don't really want to :)
 
I have seen some drummers try to fight this perception by learning and teaching technique to play modern music - there's a video of how to play dubstep on the drumset, for example. But it just depresses me. It's so basic and boring.

Wait, so learning how to play dubstep, drum&bass, jungle, et al...new genres that specifically feature drumming at their core, are basic and boring to you?

If you don't like the music that's fine, but to say that stuff is somehow boring is like walking around with blinders on. It's the freshest thing drumming has seen in years.
 
Not in the least. Today's youth have access to quantity and quality I never dreamed of. Some of the developments limit imagination but overall they have it made.
 
I have mixed feelings, but in general I don't feel sorry at all.

All of the great stuff from the past we enjoyed is still out there, and because of the digital world we now live everyone has significantly better access to it.

But there is still good music being made and played all over, it might just take a little more digging or knowing who to ask.

There has never been a time where you couldn't look around and declare that all the music of "right now" is utter crap and was so much better in (insert the time you like).

And if we turn our focus to instruments I really don't agree. Today's beginner and intermediate drums and cymbals are much higher quality than what was available even 20 years ago. But looking at higher end equipment there is a huge development in boutique drum building that has brought a lot more interest and awareness in a custom sound that was unheard of even 10 years ago.
 
Not looking for an argument but I agree with coolnames. My daughter makes me CD's of "todays" music every father's day. IMO her stuff (today's stuff) is nowhere close to the awesome 60's and 70's and 80's. So I don't feel bad for the kids, I feel bad for me. LOL!
 
I'm with Beam - I listen to prog (among other things) and there are a handful of bands out there doing amazing things that have never been done before. If you're just going off radio then your heads is in the sand but I agree pop has gotten worse. It's all very image, lyrical and singer focused. I think a majority of the music I listen to is instrumental.
 
I just feel sorry for people who don't realize there's more out there than what they see in Rolling Stone. It's like watching the first few dozen movies on IMDB's Top 250 and thinking you're a cinema buff now. There's tons of amazing films (and bands) out there, new and old, but you've got to look for it.
 
No, I don't. The ones that want good music can find it, from the beginning of time until now. There has always been good music and there has always been bad music. You just have to know where to look. If anything it's easier for today's kids to find more good music, and quicker.
 
No, I don't. The ones that want good music can find it, from the beginning of time until now. There has always been good music and there has always been bad music. You just have to know where to look. If anything it's easier for today's kids to find more good music, and quicker.

Indeed. Half the fun consuming music was the search. The 'search' certainly has changed since my formative years.
 
Don't worry, Kids. Tool promised they'll be putting out an album this year. I'm predicting it will be another Lateralus, but even better. Maybe Christmas? haha!
 
I think it was always this way.

I like local bands. Sometimes the best music is from people playing in the park. They experiment with everything.
 
I feel more sorry for kids that don't get a chance to experience music, i.e. school programs or individual lessons on their own instrument. What you hear is what you choose to hear. Turn the dial, find something you like. if you are young and peer pressure is telling you what to listen to then I feel sorry for you.
 
I feel sorry for young people whose parents don't expose them to a wide range of music, helping them understand--not necessarily like, but at least appreciate--where their music came from. And while this may be a gross over-generalization, I also feel sorry for the Harry Potter generation (wave a wand for instant gratification) that is more consumed with entitlement and instant fame being handed to them instead of dedication to honing their craft and slowly developing--and earning--a fan base and following. My sympathy pretty much stops at that point for many of the reasons already posted before.

As a general principle, most of us are imprinted in our teens and early 20's by the music that moves us, and that becomes our standard of music throughout our lives. I want my kids to have their "own" music, but not without understanding and appreciating where it all came from.

The youth of today have amazing access to all sorts of music. The digital age has its pros and cons, but it is truly unbelievable the music one can access instantly at one's fingertips. Yet I see a growing revival of young people turning to vinyl and turntables listening to the great musicians and desiring to recapture that vintage vibe.

From my vantage point I see the great musicians of prior decades having a trickle down effect where many of our young musicians are already playing at a much higher standard than we were playing at their age. And there are a lot of amazing young musicians out there. I'm actually excited to see the real musicians and players of this generation mature in their craft and see how high they set the bar for the next generation.
 
The only things that are annoying these days are having last years music shoved down your throat by the music hype machine, and over amplified guitar and vocals.
 
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