Long Live Music

After an enlightening conversation Friday concerning music and its staying power across generations, I have determined that for every generation there comes an infinite number of contributions to the musical landscape, but only a select few transcend many generations.   What contributes to this? I think the answer is that there are certain "threads" that make up our culture....and composers that are successful are those that best adapt "threads" of the past with the "threads" of the present to create a fabric that sums up our culture.  Case in point:  New generations of music fans continue to "discover" the Beatles!  we are a society that shares stories in the form of music, art, and literature.  Those who are able to properly introduce music, art, and literature are able to keep it alive.  That's why efforts by long-standing musicians, artists and authors experience new life.  Parents, siblings, teachers, and others serve as "conduit" as well as contemporary artists simply by acknowledging the debt of influence to predecessors.  Even in this attention-deficit driven society that we live, others should share and discuss that which influences them.....seek to understand what motivates an artist, musician, or author.  It is this way we can better understand ourselves.  If I am interested in a particular genre of music or art,  I research what was going on at the time, what motivations were present, and how it all inter-relates with contemporaries of that time.  Then I can start to visualize and understand.  One genre is only part of the puzzle, so appreciation of all genres will complete the puzzle.  This is why culture adapts and survives across generations...think about it!