The times, they are a-changin’.
When music legend and activist Bob Dylan wrote this song, they were. His ballad was an anthem to the Civil Rights Movement, providing Americans with a voice for the passion they brought to the injustices of their day.
Today, the same holds true. We are living in time of great transformation in politics, science, technology and the arts. Social issues are at the forefront of the media, and the top of our priority lists.
But what is the soundtrack to our movement? There was no song about the constitutionality of Proposition 8, or the Gulf oil spill. Rather, we have the musical contributions of Justin Bieber, Drake and LMFAO. Lady Gaga wants to make love to the stars, Katy Perry was drunk last Friday night and I’m pretty sure Rihanna is still looking for someone to blow out her birthday candles.
Of course, music is about self-expression. The songs artists write and perform should be a reflection of their priorities and beliefs, whatever those might be. But today, our highest paid artists care primarily about sex and money. I’m not saying these themes are new. For decades, there were songs of justice and issues among the tunes of drug use and romance. Rapper Tupac wrote about racism and social problems in inner cities.
But, there is a bright side. Today, most musicians are putting some of their money toward causes that may or may not be important to them. The band Guster founded Reverb, an organization that provides bands with the resources to have environmentally-friendly tours. O.A.R. supports philanthropic programs that align with its goals of equality, opportunity, community and sustainability.
But while money is no doubt helpful, there’s an essential part of the equation missing from this trend. Disseminating information, generating excitement and building a community are irreplaceable parts of sharing music with a purpose.
John Lennon’s “Imagine” fostered enthusiasm for equality and change. A donation, no matter how large, to a peace foundation, impoverished country or failing school could not have inspired the millions of people this song continues to motivate.
People are at the root of justice. The changes we can make in our everyday lives start with a change in our mindset, and our outlooks are infinitely influenced by the media — including popular music.
Like Ke$ha says, We R Who We R. But who are we, and how do we want to be remembered?