Dirty Pop

The reason why I believe cruise lines don't want musicians to try to sound like tracks, is because tracks have no soul. There is no room for extemporaneous expression. Why would Disney hire competent professional musicians if all they wanted was the sterility of a prerecorded track? Why would a cruise line waste money hiring live musicians, if they didn't want a live interpretation of the music? The major thing live musicians can add to preexisting music is phrasing. This "pop" style I have been raving about has no phrasing. I don't understand how any style of music could offer as a sacrifice to the money god their phrasing. Phrasing is the only thing that gives music life. It doesn't take much to play a bunch of notes in a row with NO dynamic inflection and no interesting articulation. What would that yield? I guess that is where the derogatory term "bubble gum" comes from. The music just goes "pop, pop, pop." No real musician would settle for this, unless of course they were merely untrained and didn't know better. (like a contestant on American Idol) Country artists have adopted this style in the last several years, and although somewhat interesting for the first few seconds of a song, Pat Benetar proved unconditionally that emotional, passionate music will win over time. I have always been a proponent of empowering music. Music that opens cans of worms or leaves you confused and unsettled emotionally won't last. We have enough to contend with in everyday life. Who wants to hear music that has no confidence in what it is saying? Oh, the answer may be country music. I don't think crying in your beer or at least trying to understand what you are feeling is inappropriate. In the long run if music is to be artistic in any way, it should try to lead and have a wise message. That is what good art does. If commercial music in the United States has sunk to the level of garage jams, computer wanks, and Musica Reservata then we should keep it off the airwaves.