I’m snuggly tucked into my porch office. Since the room has no HVAC vent, the tiny heater I use is working overtime to keep the cold away. The Grammy Awards are playing on the television in the family room, but I have no interest in watching even a second of it.
Why should I watch? I took a look at the list of nominees in different categories, and I can honestly say that I’ve listened to music from one artist: Lady Gaga. I scrolled through all the lists and did recognize a few names in the country music section, but I couldn’t identify a single song on the list that I’ve heard.
One reason I don’t know today’s music is that I fortunately have Sirius radio in my car. My selection of channels includes the 60’s, the 70’s, classic country and the blend station. Those stations play songs from my earlier years, beginning when I began listening to the AM and FM stations in eighth grade. By the mid-80's, I had moved to country music during the heydays of such artists as Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, and Randy Travis.
My interest in new music ended when electronically-alter voices and another strange noises were introduced. I prefer normal instruments and human voices in the music I hear. My mind cannot decipher what other devices are trying to add to music.
The next comment I make will offend some folks, and for that, I apologize. I don’t like rap, hip-hop, flow, or MCings. They are all names for the genre. I consider this category as art, but not music. Talking with a beat in the back isn’t what we oldster consider true music. Yes, it is a prejudice, but not a racial or cultural one. I prefer to label it as a choice of music.
I remember when I was a child and went to stores with elevators. Most of the MUZAK selections were tunes from my parents’ generation. I dreaded being trapped in a small space and being forced to listen to that stuff. No doubt, those who like RAP feel the same way when the music I like blares from speakers. Of course, I avoid listening to talking that is so fast that I rarely understand what is being said.
I pay no more attention to The Globe Awards, Emmy Awards, and Oscar Awards. I know more of the actors and actresses in those media, but that knowledge is limited to the older entertainers. I just don’t care who wins. I like shows and movies for themselves, not for the performers. Rarely are the awarded movies ones that I would choose to watch. Most of us don’t pay good money for “art” in movies; instead, we pay to be entertained.
I remind myself of my mother when it comes to television watching. She thought “Matlock” re-runs were the best shows on television. My choice of viewing most often is You Tube. I suppose my attention span is shortening. I would rather watch several different clips than invest large blocks of time watching a boring movie. However, “Pitt” is a fantastic series, and movies with Denzel Washington captivate me. I’ve even been watching a series featuring Will Smith on National Geographic. My years are making me jumpy when it comes to television viewing.
Congratulations to the winners of the Grammy Awards. Don’t bother tell me who they are because I won’t know them anyway.
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