from
the
Editor
MUSIC OF MEMPHIS: HOME OF THE BLUES The ever so slow approach of Beale Street Music Festival has me thinking a lot about music. Music is one of those things that has existed as long as humanity, and I would like to think something that we can’t live without and won’t allow to be phased out in future generations. It’s something that progresses with us and changes as we do, but still stands the test of time. After waking up every morning to my Spotify playlist, I continue listening to music during all of my free periods, when I am doing homework, during every car ride, and when I exercise. I am even listening to music as I write this, so I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that music makes up a large portion of people’s everyday lives. Some would say a large reason people listen to music is to fill silence or dull boredom, which can be true, but on a deeper level, music inspires people. This doesn’t have to mean that empowering, “I’m gonna take action against all the problems in the world” kind of inspiring, although it can be. It’s the kind of inspiring that pumps you up for a big game, gives you the energy to finish your three mile run, helps you focus while studying, all the while helping you to let go of stress. For me, music inspires happiness. A guitar riff paired perfectly with bass at the intro of a song, vocals reaching notes that I couldn’t even scream, and a solid beat can lift me out of the turmoil of the day. But outside of a personal level, music can affect the social and political issues of an era.
Music is influenced by culture and on the reversal culture is influenced by music. In the ‘50s with the birth of rock ‘n’ roll, people like Elvis Presley, who we Memphians know quite well, used music as a catalyst for change from a society that revolved around conformity to one that paved the way for the individualism that came with the ‘60s. Not only does music influence culture, but it can even change people’s political views as music is a strong outlet for opinions. In the ‘60s during the Vietnam War, the Antiwar movement inspired many artists like Neil Young, who performed at Beale Street Music Fest this past year, to write songs discouraging the war. Today, this can be seen in rap music which, though this is obviously not the theme of the entire genre, has spoken to many political issues like modern day discrimination. All this to say, music has the ability to influence people personally and globally. So this month, our staff wanted to explore the ways music affects Memphis from the perspective of students. Memphis Impact will look at various popular high school bands to find out what inspires them and what they are trying to convey through their music.
Contents May 2017
Impact Writing Series
10
Athletes of the Month
9
Hutchison School and Memphis University School Spring Formals
8
Rocking in Memphis
6
Meet the Staff
4
From the Editor
3
May 2017 / 3