Report On Music And Culture In Los Angeles
Arguably, music is basically a combination of sounds, vibrations, and tones which have been linked together to come up with rhythm which contains within it a mixture of energies. In this regard, we can clearly see that music is more than just a combination of rhyming words. Different people have given different definitions of music, including its abilities to relax the mind, give motivation as well as energize the body. Music enables us to communicate with each other as human beings and acts as a medium of expressing feelings that cannot otherwise be expressed by word of mouth. In this way, people are able to connect better with each other and even with themselves as music acts a medium of bringing out the most hidden emotions of an individual. However, music depends on the various cultures in which it is being composed. Based on this, music has the ability to bring out the different cultures associated with different people and places. It is, therefore, possible to have a complete perception of the culture of a place or people based on the kind of music that they produce or enjoy.
For decades, Los Angeles has been considered as the city of great opportunities and the city where one is most likely to achieve the American dream. However, this is just a combination of different perspectives of people who have been living there and those who intend to live there. In the real sense, however, life in Los Angeles is not as easy as it is presented as it is faced by many different challenges, full of violence and a place to die. In “To Live and Die in L. A” by 2 Pac, Los Angeles is described as a city of angels and constant danger. Tupac explains that for one to make it in Los Angeles and achieve the American dream, they have to toil and work hard in the face of danger in terms of gangs. It is not easy to make it in Los Angeles as he explains, giving examples of how his friends lost their lives trying to ‘fatten their pockets. ’ He also talks about the Mexicans coming to Los Angeles, the city of angels, to seek the same opportunities but end up suffering the same fate as the blacks, the fate of hardship and finally death. As such, LA is depicted as a city whereby cultural diversity thrives in a great deal.
Generally, the world is made up of various cultures, and each one of them has unique traditions and practices only known and understood to the people around. Los Angeles is a city that has been known to accommodate music as part of its integral part. Since the Los Angeles community is composed of a variety of cultures, these cultures come with different types and genres of music. Josh Kush in his song ‘Los Angeles Is Singing”, clearly states the fact that songs are encounters and that if we got lost in them, then they become part of us. This simply explains that music in so many ways can communicate to us and specifically in a spiritual way.
A good example is “Party in the USA” by the legendary Miley Cyrus. This song gives a scenario of the artist’s major move from Nashville all the way to Los Angeles and all the expectations she had before making the actual move. Her original perception of Los Angeles was that it was the field of fame in abundance; therefore, she expected that this city would be a huge opportunity for her career to grow and earn fame. However, immediately she gets to Los Angeles, everyone identifies her as “the girl from out of town” since even the physical appearance of people in this “land of fame excess” is different from her usual. This, in turn, gives her a feeling of homesick and loneliness. This song communicates to us, making us understand the feeling of not being around the usual environment that we would refer to home to being in a new city whose reality is totally different from our expectations.
In the USA, there is one major driving factor that most citizens use as their driving force in order to achieve their own dreams and goals in life. This factor is most commonly known as the “American Dream. ” Many Americans move from their home cities to other cities within the USA in order to achieve this dream. Los Angeles is one of the major cities where citizens from all parts of the country move to. In addition, a number of music artists identify with Los Angeles as the city where they moved to without anything in pursuit of their carriers and achieved their goals. Josh Kush’s song ‘Los Angeles Is Singing,’ mentions that “songs are hand shakers and encounters…they become passports…” which is evident where some of these artists go to the extent of passing this information about how they achieved their “American Dream” in Los Angeles through their songs. A good example is “City Of Angels” by 30 Seconds to Mars. In this song, the lead singer of the rock band, Jared Leto, explains how he moved from New York City to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams in the film industry.
According to Leto & Lillywhite, Los Angeles as a land that is all inclusive and a place where dreams can actually come true as he says in the song “Here our dreams are made, the one. ” In the song, Leto includes other individuals who share the same experience about Los Angeles including some of the world’s famous artists and celebrities, for example, Kanye West, Selena Gomez, Lindsay Lohan, and many others. This is an indication that the whole experience of achieving the “American Dream” through Los Angeles is a shared experience among various people who have made it in the careers in the USA. After Leto describes his experience in Los Angeles of how he found “streets of desire” and “a boulevard of hope and dreams” meaning that Los Angeles provided a pool of opportunities for him to pursue. Later, Leto refers to Los Angeles as home.
Throughout history, Los Angeles has always harbored individuals from different places, for instance during the pre-colonial era, the area which came to be Los Angeles was the home of settlers from Sonora, Mexico, and Spanish colonies. This influx of people from different places is what contributed to the cultural diversity of the city. This cultural diversity of the city enables outsiders who come to Los Angeles looking for better opportunities to feel at home.
In “Under The Bridge” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Los Angeles is described as ‘the city of angel,’ a companion and a friend. Whenever the outsiders or new residents feel lonely and distant from home, they can always find refuge in the diversity of the city and in the process feel at home. According to Kun, when we internalize music, it speaks to us, forming a spiritual connection between us and the music and in the process, making us feel home. Throughout the 20th century, Los Angeles was always portrayed as a heaven on earth to the immigrants, a land full of orange groves, with a temperate climate and plenty of opportunities to make money thus contributing to the whole perception of the city being a home. The immigrants feel that their hard work will be generously repaid in the city of angels. This is further emphasized by Red Hot Chili Peppers as they state that “she sees my good deeds, and kisses me windy”.
In summation, it is apparent that music is one of the ways through which the culture of a community can be well demonstrated. The music clearly shows that in as much as the American dream is a valid endeavor that individuals can actually pursue, it does not come easy. As noted, the city of LA is filled with lots of danger and even ultimate death in as much as it is filled with opportunities to make life better. In addition to that, there is a possibility of one losing themselves in the city while chasing a better life. However, the diversity of the city acts as a cushion for welcoming the new residents and at the same time positively contributes to the general well-being of the city and its residents. Therefore, the music written based on Los Angeles provides an in-depth and truthful analysis of what people should expect when and if they decide to move to the city.
