It seems music is in the news lately. While the world at large is concentrated on the recent death of a woman during a confrontation in which any rational person would calculate that taking stupid risks means possible injury or death, let us ponder the effects of bad "music." I put "music" here in scare quotes because rap and hip hop is not technically music. Oh, it has elements of music, and elements of poetry, but it is neither music nor poetry. What it is rather is vulgar and not terribly literate language set to a drum beat. It is the supposed voice of the ghetto. And we are supposed to sympathize with this voice of the downtrodden.
But too many people like Dr. Ben Carson, Justice Clarence Thomas, Economist and philosopher Thomas Sowell and others tells me that being poor does not mark you for life like Cain. Each of us makes choices every day that determine the course of our lives.
At the American Thinker yesterday, John Deitrick had a piece entitled Mark the Music in which he notes that we are teaching our children savagery by letting this trash come into our homes.
Recently, country music singer John Rich commented on a remark made by rap singer Sean Combs. Combs boasted, “I own your kids. I own their souls. I determine what they wear. I determine what they listen to.” Rich asked, “Is anybody going to rebut this devil and what he just said about our kids?” He answered his own question: “Nobody did. Nobody said boo about it.” Unfortunately, Rich is correct. Few recognize the damage resulting from large numbers of children being “owned” by degenerates.
One can understand the popularity of rap and hip hop by looking at it carefully. One can easily learn to produce the background beat. It doesn't require years of study and music theory. And one can learn within a few weeks to months to put together words to fit the beat- and made-up words are seemingly celebrated in this genre. So, it is not like one needs a vast vocabulary to make the lyrics rhyme. Further, the lyrics also sound cool to the young because they express rage and hint at the forbidden. So, one can see why the young might be tempted by it.
Now, I am not saying that to play and appreciate music, one must study classical piano for seven years, practice at the instrument for two or more hours a day, and attend a conservatory like Julliard. There is a time for everything, and music can fit into a balanced life. But a constant diet of rage is not healthy, and listening to it all the time promotes ill emotions.
Of course, you cannot protect your children from hearing this garbage. They will be exposed to it when out with friends, in some restaurants, in some shops. I remember my father trying to keep me from listening to the Beatles. The more he railed against them, the better I liked them. I realize now that most of the stuff I like then was utter crap. But with age has come an appreciation of classical pieces.
Probably the best thing you can do is to expose your children to good music. I recommend J.S. Bach and Mozart. Pachelbel's Canon is a approachable piece as well as Bach's Air on the G String, Beethoven's Fur Elise. Good tunes make for good music. For older children, Handel's Messiah is wonderful. Exposing them to the richness of such music will also expose the hollowness of Rap. In addition, they might like finding out exactly what a "canon" is.
Finally, I want to note that Rap and Hip Hop are in large part from the Devil. Deitrich hints at it but doesn't say it. It isn't fashionable to admit the Devil exists. Too many believe this is true. You can, of course, believe what you want. I believe that Rap invites the Devil into the listener's heart just as porn and Ouija boards open a doorway for him to come in. None of this is harmless. Just say'n.
Raising kids...it ain't easy.
