Nostalgia and the Art of Music Myth Making
Why is the past better? Each time we remember something from our past, why is it always better than what is happening now? This is not a new concept, yet it continues to perpetuate itself. The irony is that today’s past was someone’s present and you can bet that someone then was wishing it was another time. Our present will be someone’s past, but will it be remembered as a "simpler time”? Maybe. Let us hope not. Music is not immune to this phenomenon. In fact, music is one of the strongest topics when it comes to the past and better times. “Music was better in my day” is the cry of each generation. I myself have been caught shaking my head and wandering down that well worn and tired path. What makes the previous generation’s music better than its successor? Every generation of music has had its great songs and not so great songs. So why the battle cry? And it is a battle cry, a challenge to the next generation to make music like it used to be. The problem with this is that ...
