Radio Killed the Video Star?

Though movies, music videos, and graphic art have been dominant forces in musicology and how people are affected by music, people must also take into account the work put behind a radio show. Kidd Kraddick is a major example of this. His show is broadcast to several stations in the Southern United States (In New Orleans, I believe it's 97.1 - WEZB) and, though there are very few musical interruptions, he is very successful as a radio talk show host. His show is extremely layered: there's a layer of humor, a layer of serious issues, and a layer of problem solving. His co-hosts--Big Al, Kellie, J-Si, and Shanon--all create a dialogue that is insanely hilarious. He does talk about national news and, unlike most radio shows, doesn't tend to give a straightforward bias (Right, Rush Limbaugh?). His biggest feat, however, is his humanitarian work. In the many years of his show, Kidd has created his own charity called "Kidd's Kids." This is sort of like the "Make-a-Wish Foundation," except his cause donates to cancer research and sends several cancer victims to Disney World to rid them of their troubles, if even for a few days. He's not a musician, but the style of his show attracts viewers of all different backgrounds and it definitely makes a difference in the community.

Though my show wouldn't have the same impact, I do intend on co-hosting a radio show on Loyola's campus with my good friend Khiry. "G-Nikes and Strobe Lites" will air every Tuesday from 1-4 pm on Crescentcityradio.com. We do intend to talk about some good stuff, good music, good thoughts, and whatever else pops up. He and I have frequently had embarrassingly funny conversations. Hopefully our humor will bring a larger audience to CCR (as we don't have too many listeners, really...) and perhaps the music can attract an audience as well. Music is the universal language. If we bring good music to the show, people will understand where we come from. Maybe people will listen. If music is a language, and we have the power to persuade people with our words, perhaps music has the same impact. It can be used as a marketing tool.

The fine line between Genius and Insanity

Beethoven, Einstein, Kanye. All three of these men have been noted for their bizarre qualities and stylistic choices: Beethoven's deafness and his ascots, Einstein's quietude and his hair, Kanye's ego and his hater-blockers. All three declared insane. All three proclaimed geniuses.

Shane Koyczan, a slam poet, brought a definition to Beethoven's madness. The following is an excerpt of Koyczan's work:

distance must be an illusion

the man must be

a genius

Beethoven

his thoughts moving at the speed of sound

transforming emotion into music

and for a moment

it was like joy

was a tangible thing

like you could touch it

like for the first time

we could watch love and hate dance together

in a waltz of such precision and beauty

that we finally understood

the history wasn’t important

to know the man

all we ever had to do was

listen.

There's typically a method to madness. We see this with Beethoven as we do with Einstein. It is rumored that Einstein didn't speak until he was 10 years old because he couldn't find anything worthwhile to say and that he failed the kindergarten level of his education because he couldn't express himself well artistically. Though these are rumors, we do see the left side of Einstein's brain more than the right. His scientific genius still amazes scientists and thinkers to this date.

As for Mr. West, we are plagued with drunken antics and good music. I'll be honest, Kanye's most recent album is one of my favorites. He puts out some really good music and there's no question he's a quality artist, but some of the stuff he does on the side is purely irrational and stupid. He has proclaimed himself to be the greatest musician in the world, he goes into a jealous fit every time he loses an award to someone else, and the Taylor Swift fiasco will not leave the public eye anytime soon with the invention of immaletyoufinish.com

He's a great musician, but he's unpredictable. Ingenious or Insane? Which is he? As it was with Beethoven and Einstein, we need to wait until Kanye starts up with some work later on in his career. Though he is fame-obsessed, his passion for hip hop is undeniably strong.

Grand Larsony

Of course, the word "larceny" is misspelled in the title. This post will not be on thievery, though it will relate to holding captive the hearts of all Americans who've witnessed Jonathan Larson's hit Broadway musical RENT. The musical first played off-Broadway on January 26, 1996 and moved to Broadway in April of the same year. Unfortunately, Larson wasn't alive to see his Magnum Opus achieve the national success that it has--he died on January 25, 1996, one night before the show's opening.

The show ran on Broadway until 2008, but there was a supplement to the Broadway performances--one that could reach a larger audience. In November of 2005, the film version of RENT was shown in theatres and became a cultural phenomenon (if it hadn't already been before). The film starred 6 of the original 8 Broadway members: Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, and Taye Diggs.

Though the scripts differ between the play and the film, the messages are still the same: love knows no bounds, and the artist shouldn't have to struggle. Larson's script tackled homosexuality and the pressing issue of AIDS. He showed that love follows through sickness, through struggle, through any obstacle. It knows no gender and it may even put a stopper to death (or at least slow it down). Also, the setting for the story--a rundown, Bohemian location in the East Village of New York City, often called Alphabet City--reveals the poverty and hardship that most aspiring artists deal with. Though the problems aren't necessarily solved in the resolution of the musical, the songs and the plot in general are blunt enough to broadcast a vivid message to audiences everywhere.