MUSIC-a broad term with simple goals

Let’s use music videos for example. What do they say about us? What do they say about our parents? Probably the same thing thanks to MTV’s continuous stream of videos in the 80s and the mass variety of videos that we stream through YouTube today. It seems crazy to think that we have something that is a substantial part of our lives in common with our parents, considering we use their texting struggles and other everyday technological struggles as comedic relief. Despite the drastic change from low to high resolution phones, computers, and camera screens, it is not technology that gives music videos their natural prestige. Music videos and music as a whole is able to transcend time and even space because of the personal connection and sense of “escape” that it provides.

Mr. Kenny Chesney represents the epitome of personal connection and “escape”, capturing the delight and attention of his STADIUM SIZED, country music loving audiences. Chesney’s ticket sales alone may certainly speak for themselves, but his appearance at countless preshow tailgates and relaxed persona truly makes people feel as if they can put their worries on the back-burner, at least for a couple of hours.

Getting to see Chesney in concert in Austin, one of the many locations on his 2005 “The Road and the Radio” tour, convinced me to make the best of my experiences and to get excited about them. Moving from one school to another had not been an easy transition for me at the time, but I soon realized that it didn’t have to be the end of the world. This sand-filled beach vacation had not only been an “escape”, it gave me insight on my own life. At the end of the night, audience members in the front row to the notorious “nosebleed” sections all had memories to bring home with them.

There was something about Chesney’s lively stage presence and putting a premium on his fans having a good time that made me feel important, as if my choices from then on could actually have an impact on the world in some small way. How does music make you feel? How do you choose what music to listen to?