(image courtsey of purevolume.)
Over time, stories have developed some narrative patterns. Three of these include romantic, heroic, and sacraficial. While some may say American stories, books, television, movies, and musical lyircs are the same in different media or certain patterns are specific to certain forms, I beg to differ. For example, many musical lyrics talk about many different feelings and patterns. One song may be about how the singer/songwriter is in love with their significant other and wants to spend the rest of their life with that person. The next track on the album may copletely turn it around because it deals with saving the world. Yes, I said it, a song could very possibly be about saving the world.(Even when I say that, I think it sounds a little rediculous.) Take the hardcore band Alesana, for example. Their first song, This is Usually the Part Where People Scream, on their latest album, Where Myth Fades to Legend, Shawn Milke and Dennis Lee, the two vocalists for the band, sing, "Welcome to the show, it's a story that you've heard a thousand times, so take a seat and get lost with me. This tale will never stop being told. Welcome to the show, it's a chance to save the world or lose the girl. Let's save the world, hereos will save the day!" On the next track in Where Myth Fades to Legend, "Goodbye, Goodnight, for Good", Shawn and Dennis sing about jealousy. The song starts off "Jealousy rears its ugly head, I won't forget the things you said before". While music is an important part of my life, as well as American culture, there are also other important aspects of storytelling that is not just musical.
Movies, books, and television all change in whether they are romantic, sacraficial, or heroic. It is my firm belief that there is not just one pattern for each type of storytelling. Or that certain patterns are specific to certain forms. There are many different types of movies- chick flicks, action, or horror, to name a few. Books are exactly the same way. You have different genres of books for different people and for different types of stories. When someone turns on the television, most channels are specific for some sort of genre of story, but that is not always the case. Take the music channel Fuse, as a point of reference. Fuse airs mostly music videos and aspects dealing with music. But they also play horror films and comedies. One last example of television is the channel Oxygen. They play many different genres of shows, and do not adhere to one specific genre. So, next time you think there's nothing playing on T.V. or there are no good bands on the radio, try broadening your horizon and listen or watch something new.
Also, check this out to learn more!
Reference: Hsu, J. (2008). The secrets of storytelling: Our love for telling tales reveals the workings of the mind. Scientific American Mind, August/ September, 46-51.
Comments (1)
Excellent example of how songs can tell the stories of our culture. I often wonder if singing was the first form of storytelling...the words become so much more powerful when they are connected to a melody...those are the words we will remember 20 years down the line, when we haven't sung the songs in ages...the words will still come back...they haunt our brains and wait to be taken out, dusted off, and sung anew. Your entry made me think about the Stories of My Life.
Posted by Prof Knupsky | September 9, 2008 12:42 PM
Posted on September 9, 2008 12:42