The ensemble of horns start blaring at the beginning of the song, and suddenly the low register voice comes pouring out through the speakers. It's warm, comforting, and all around beautiful. Frank Sinatra's voice intertwined with the trumpets and saxophones at the beginning of "You Make Me Feel So Young" is pure magic. It's timeless. It speaks of love in its purest form; it has a story, and it is audibly pleasing. While Sinatra is a rare talent, it disappoints me that artists like him are almost nonexistent in modern music.
Every song back then had a message; a purpose. Even if the piece had no vocals, one could still interpret the emotions of the composer through his or her masterpiece. The ability to close your eyes and take in the perfect swirl of harmonies among the percussion and vocals is rare with the music one hears on the radio today.
While synths and computer-made music have their appeal, it can never be better than having a drummer, a guitarist, a bassist, and a singer coming together with their individual talents to make music about a lady named Eleanor Rigby and yellow submarines. Music today seems too angry, with rappers cursing out everyone in sight. What happened to the stories that the singers told, like the one about the summer of 1969? Why did singers stop professing their one true love to thousands around the world? Where did the New York State of Mind go? Where can we find Sweet Caroline? What happened to the times where to make music you only needed a guitar and a little imagination?
Don't get me wrong; there are several modern artists I enjoy listening to, but I could never get tired of the classics. We live in a complex time where everything is fast-paced and technological-- even our music. We need to learn how to slow things back down, and take in the small, beautiful things in life. With this appreciation, we can make beautiful music again; not angry, not synthesized, but authentic, meaningful music.
Music is beautiful because it is the universal language, but I feel like the message has gotten lost. Now, I'm not expecting all the little children of the world to come together and join hands to sing Kumbaya, but music really does have the power to connect people around the world. While some might think that modern music can connect people, I wholeheartedly believe that a little jazz and classic rock can change the world.
