Every once in a while, you should step out of your music comfort zone and give musicians who aren't household names a listen. Seek out musicians who aren't forced upon you by commercial radio program directors and the record companies, or even your peers. These musicians have just as much to offer as the big name, corporate-backed artists, probably more, because for the most part, their songs are born out of a hunger to be heard from the depths of their hearts and the recesses of their souls, and because record sales and the top 40 charts aren't even in the equation. Even if you consider yourself a purveyor of indie music and a champion of the underground music scene, there's a whole uncharted world out there of do-it-yourself musicians you might be missing who will probably never be touring through your town. However, thanks to the Internet, you can take a trip over to You Tube any time you desire and listen to artists you wouldn't have been exposed to any other way. Be advised, there may be a bit of culture shock when you embark on this journey. The musicians might not be as polished or have the slick stage presence, pop idol persona, or fancy instruments and venues of professionally managed bands, but this grass roots spontaneity adds to their authenticity and brings a weight of sincerity to their songs.
Begin with a small step out of your music comfort zone today. Check out Claire Burton with her original song "Look Up." It's a genuine plea to break loose of the shackles of the digital age and the mobile device prisons in which we've isolated ourselves at the expense of real human contact and emotion. Yes, there's a certain irony that after reading this article, possibly on a phone or iPad, many people might listen to this song on their mobile device of choice. But, to be heard, you go to where the people are, not where you want them to be. Who knows? Maybe it will encourage listeners to take the song's message to heart and put it into practice, at least more than they do now.
If you like "Look up" by Claire Burton, you can check out more of her songs on her You Tube channel and you can also follow her on Twitter, where Claire first came to the attention of MUSE-ICAL GRAFFITI with one of her profound tweets about the power of music. You can see that tweet and tweets by many others about music and what it means to them on the main page of MUSE-ICAL GRAFFITI under "The People on Music." You will see how universally intertwined the thread of music in all of its forms is in our lives.
If you like this article, read more articles by Bob Langham at MUSE-ICAL GRAFFITI.