The Lost(?) Art of Song Interpretation
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2007-05-14-interpretive-singers_N.htm?POE=click-refer&imw=Y
This story is about the lost art of (or, more accurately, loss of respect for)song interpretation, a bad side-effect of the rise of the singer-songwriter. What are your thoughts?
I've talked a bit about this before. Dylan, Cohen, Waits ... guys like that were great in so many ways, but one unfortunate side effect has been that we now have this perception that for a music artist to be a "real" artist, they must write their own songs, when in fact song interpretation is a challenging artform that in some ways requires greater artistry than songwriting does.
Is Alison Krauss less of an artist than Avril Lavigne, or than the myriad of pop superstars who have co-writing credits on their albums because they contributed a line or a phrase to a song that was fleshed-out by a hired gun?
Is it better to encourage a good singer to write his own songs when there is no evidence that he can write well, or is it better to help him find good songs and to "get into the songs" well and make them his own?
Is it better for an average songwriter to put out a whole CD of her own material, or is it better for her to put out a CD with a couple of her best songs and ten great songs by skilled writers?
posted by Bobby @ 9:54 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
AAARRRRGH! You can't do this! I can't be bothered to copy and paste my witty responses to BOTH places!
Thank you. A great question to be sure, especialy for those of us who don't write their own music. I don't write my own music but that doesn't make me less of an artist. In college my vocal teachers daily emphasized that the ability to interpret a song is key. You can sing a song prettily, with a clear tone, add the right amount of vibratto here and there or not, but if you didn't get the message of the song across or connect emotionally or intellectually with your audience then you've wasted hours of time in the practice room.
Interesting question. I admit that it really doesn't matter to me who wrote the song or who sings the song as long as I enjoy the lyrics and the vocals. But then I'm not "musical" so I am neither threatened nor critical of singers who can't string two words together on their own or songwriters whose voices are topped by a band of merry cats at midnight.
Give me good lyrics and good vocals and I'll plunk down the money to buy it.
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