Without a doubt, rock music is the center of my musical world. My rebellious and questioning nature has always been compatible with the expressive tune of electric guitars and the lovely noise created by drums. Rock music makes me feel that freedom is not impossible – whether the vocals are of singing or growling. Regardless of the noise, the message of rock music has always been clear for me – reeking of rebellion and emphasizing attention.
I have grown up listening to the likes of Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones. With stuff like Paranoia, Another Brick in the Wall and Beasts of Burden, I grew accustomed to the sound of wild guitar riffs which noise was not completely nonsensical. As I grew up, I began associating rock music with revolution – in the sense that its sound is highly capable enough to foster messages of change and lamentations towards the status quo. Having grown from an urban setting, I have witnessed the rise of particular acts which sought to emulate the kind of feel rock music has produced as it pervaded across generations. From my neighbors to people in high school, I have seen the influence of rock music take over backyards and garages through teenagers forming bands. The emergence of later acts like Queen, Nirvana and Rage against the Machine further strengthened the voice of change conveyed in rock music, as more generations have used said music genre as a way of signifying their desire for social transformation (Turley, 2001).
For me, rock music will continue to be influential as time goes on. The euphoria of its noisy tune will go on to inspire people who are clamoring for change to happen. Yet, rock music is not just all about rebellion, contrary to what most people might think. Indeed, its sound might be an acquired taste, but its sheer intensity could bring forth an adrenaline rush raising downtrodden spirits in the process. That, at the very least, is how I view rock music. For as long as I listen to music, I will never get tired of the sound of rock.
Reference
Turley, A. (2001). Max Weber and the sociology of music. Sociological Forum, 16(4), 633-653.
