Exercising Political and Social Belief Through Music: The Acoustic Genre

Exercising Political and Social Belief Through Music: The Acoustic Genre

by: Brad Weisberg, B.A. Sociology, UNC

Although acoustic music may sound soft, gentle and soothing at the surface, there is a deeper level of thought involved that one must decipher through the artist’s words. Artists such as John Mayer, Jack Johnson, and Ben Harper are a few of the talented and thought provoking of the acoustic genre. There is more to the music than the creative sounds of the instrument and the clarity of the musician’s vocals. All of these artists attract a wide range of individuals, but most of these individuals can connect to each other through a collective bond that is conjoined through political and social thought.

Listening to songs such as Mayer’s Waiting on the World To Change” and Johnson’s “Hopes”, one can realize that these songs are symbolic of inspiration and change. The general listener of John Mayer and Jack Johnson could be built on this socially constructed image. He is usually a free-spirited, relaxed teenager who participates in both adventurous and risky activity, such as surfing, speaking of politics in the open, and participates in the recreational usage of marijuana and other illegal substances, that are representative of one’s social freedom.

You may ask yourself, who is responsible for creating these images? The answer is not simple. It is a multi-faceted idea. There is not just one actor involved in building up the hype of any genre. Two of the most important sources in the process are the record industry and media outlets, such as MTV and VH1. The way in which they present an artist is crucial to his or her image, as both an individual and talent figure. Though, the public image that the artist creates for himself is vital for his identification with society and within the genre’s development. Being complex being, we are not all attracted to the same genres of music.

An artist and genre builds it following through the way in his he or she expressed his identity, which is done through verbal and visual apparatus. Followers of the genre will begin to emulate the thoughts, actions and style of their role models through their own creative practices. For example, people who view rap and hip-hop as the genre of music that they can relate to and/ or like the most, may begin to start writing rhymes and participating in rap battles in the community or take up break dancing. Also they may emulate their popular artists through the way they dress, communicate and socialize. In example, Lil’ Wayne has had a large impact on select youth’s verbal actions, with popular terms such as “like a lollipop” and “get money”.

For an artist to appeal to an audience, there has to be a common trait that both the artists and his audience share. This element is not always visible, it often requires heavy listening and serious comprehension. If you look at the following for the acoustic genre, you can see that it is diverse in many ways, but there are some common features. Artists relate with their fans through their music, symbolic representation in music videos, at concerts, and their social involvement. Artists such as John Mayer and Jack Johnson are storytellers, or as I like to term, have folk narrative aesthetic. They use their guitars to add to the depth and meaning of their mostly nonfictional accounts of their life. Watching “Waiting on the World To Change”, you can see John Mayer just walking down the street, sitting in a café, typical daily activities of common people.

These artists use their music to make their listeners and other audiences aware of the social and political problems. With the growing influence that technology has on society, it is not uncommon for teenagers not to pick up a newspaper. In “Waiting on the World To Change”, Mayer shares his opinion of the media and how he does not think it’s a credible source. His opinion infers that the media is a source of brainwash, they only tell you what they want you to know, which might not be the truth. Through relaying their views and opinions, artists such as Mayer, Harper and Jackson are not just entertaining their audience, but educating them. That is one of the most important aesthetics of acoustic music, making listeners more worldly and aware.