I grew up in a place called North Hollywood, where a lot of kids run with a bad crowd. One way that music helped to influence me, was by gearing me away from those crowds. By being able to experience multiple types of music, I was able to gain musical interests that were my own, rather than just those that the people around me liked. Had I conformed to the standard musical preferences, I would have hung out with guys who ended up in gangs and in trouble. Instead, I allowed myself to explore outside music types and find my own path in life.
I like all kinds of music, from rap to rock and from country to classical. My personal musical preference would have to be anything rockabilly/psychobilly. I feel that this genre has had an identifiable influence on me. It’s very clear in the way I dress, the way I do my hair, and the style of car I long to have. I view my life in the true message of Rockabilly/Psychobilly music and can find no better night that one at a bar with a great greaser band playing and a car show in the parking lot.
The music that I listen to isn’t very mainstream. I do see, though, that when I do attend a Rockabilly/Psychobilly show, people are coming out of the woodwork. I see my community as a sort of underground scene. It’s almost like we’re roaches. Turn off the lights and let the sounds of a stand-up bass play, and we come out. It’s as if I’m a part of some kind of secret subculture whose popularity is slowly gaining. I’d like to see this become a bigger part of my community.
As I look into Rockabilly and Psychobilly online, I am shocked by the wordly popularity of the genre. I see big groups in Japan, parts of Europe, and tons of places I never would have expected to see it. This whole subculture started out in the United States back in the fifties and sixties, and here are a bunch of other countries adopting it as their own just because it’s cool. This kind of thing makes me proud to be a part of this culture in today’s age. It may be underground, it may be little known, but it still manages to creep its way around the world and become something you can find everywhere.
It seems like the theme of music and culture in this class will allow me to learn about even more genres and musical subcultures. I enjoy the chance to discover new bands and new types of music, and I enjoy being able to find examples of these things to listen to for myself. I look forward to getting a new insight on the culture and history of music. I welcome any new thoughts or understandings I may gain, and I hope for the chance to continue to expand my knowledge of music in the future. Music is more than just a sound, it’s a state of being.
