Recently, I purchased the soundtrack for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the music which is played in the game on a set of eight separate radio stations you can switch in a car while you are driving around the city.
This whole soundtrack jumpstarted my mind into the overall importance, and texture which any track of music builds into the listener's mind. From modern rock, swing, reggae, dance, groove, country, and classic hip-hop, this is one soundtrack that reaches out across the genres in order to open the mind to new avenues once unexplored. Of course, the main aspect of music in San Andreas is to create, or promote the gaming world in order to make you feel as if you are the character in the city, and give the player a realistic getaway from the pulls of reality.
Why I mentioned music as 'textured' can be deciphered in many different ways: each track individually tells a story, the lyrics are a portrait and thought of the artist who wrote the songs, the atmosphere of the entire game world shapes the character of the city itself based upon what is being heard on the in-game radio, the overall diversity of the tracks gives the player the overall freedom to choose the music which responds to their personality, and finally having the choice of selecting the music which the player wants to hear only intensifies not only their personal experience of the game, but expands on the whole sandbox gameplay style.
Telling a story in music has been a staple for years, and in a sense creates a connection between the artist and the listener. Usually music is easier to accept, or retain, allowing a message to be promoted easier than normal words, or other media. Having the magnetism of a message within song may very well help the listener to understand what they are going through in their lives themselves in relation to what is being explained in the music. Although the problem may be different than what is being explained in song, there is still that emotional relationship, no matter how brief the music is. To have the understanding that someone is not alone with conflicts is an idea or comfort for a certain amount of people. Therefore, music amplifies character, and most of all creates an escape even just for a few minutes.
Not only is a story important, how the artist uses the lyrics to explain their story is just as vital. Lyrics define personality, and yes it is quite possible that some songs have fictional tendencies...sometimes, but the fact still lingers that the artist chose to address the issue(s) firsthand. Words intertwine with mood/attitude/the style of the music, creating a psychological depth which scopes out the artist's mindset and reasoning begins the subject matter. They could be slurring profanities, screaming out resentful, shameful feelings, yet the whole premise of the lyrics are to shed some life into the words and phrases which make the entire song flow into the listener's ears. Everyone has something to say, and how anything can be said should be defined in the way which the communicator wants to profess such ideas. Freedom of speech is a privilege, and a gift for anyone who respects their rights and freedoms. Music is only one of the avenues in which self expression can be used.
Characters in general do not necessarily have to be animals or people, though recently society has bent towards such ideas. The whole vampire universe of media, books, and movies has advanced the whole mythology of that genre tenfold. I'm not assigning favouritism to vampires, it is purely an example. Whether people like/hate them is totally personal taste :) . I respect individual views either way. Besides such an idea, the city of San Andreas in the Grand Theft Auto Franchise, is a character itself.
To support this idea, I return to the portrait of the music which was produced for this game. The in-game radio while you are driving in a car, boat, or on the seat of a motorcycle, opens the portal to a deeper interaction between the player, takes the edge off of the typical game soundtrack -which sometimes can be a couple of tracks and that is it- , and electrically juices the city into a relatable entity, to make an atmosphere which feels as if it were to be realistic. Having this 'oxygen' in the game separates the fine line between noise, and complete silence.
GTA would most likely suffer without the city having music to add a boost to its character. Who in their right mind would want to listen to a twangy annoying track for hours on end? Not me. No way. This is partially why I love the definition of music overall. This also includes the music in the real world, not just this huge game world.
Overall, no matter what music anyone in the world listens to, continue exploring the music which you can connect with. However, it doesn't hurt to explore other genres as well every once in awhile. It is your choice though. I'm not going to change anyone's mindset. Life isn't lived through one person's view. Enjoy what you have experienced, what you will hear in the future, and support what you believe in. Having a definition of your own individuality in your heart is important, because each and every individual has the right to have their own viewpoint and personal identity in this ever changing world.
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