Individual Concluding Statement – Goodbye Bloggers May 28, 2008

Our group started this blog as a way to address one of the gaps in the mainstream music press’s coverage. That gap is the country music genre.

We are constantly bombarded with the top 40, the pop/rock, the popular music, but we believe this type of music is not the most interesting aspect of contemporary music out there. So by creating this blog we hoped to address the issue that country music is not publicised in the ‘popular’ music community. It’s a huge industry, so why isn’t it generally covered in the top 40, Video Hits, or on popular music stations such as NXFM? Why is it only well known within its own industry and community?

Country music is full of passion, humour and a good story. It is made by good old fashioned hard working, and generally middle classed people. It’s not this computer generated repetitive style of music that is normally on the countdowns. Its made by real people, who can actually sing. How do we know that? Well because country music is played in pubs and in parks, by someone with and old acoustic guitar and a dream. It isn’t a socialite or an actress who wakes up one day and decides to make a recorded because they are bored. Its real. The emotions are real and the stories are real. So why do we keep falling for the world of the manufactured music? Well quite simply, we are told to. Its hot, its new and its plastered everywhere. We don’t have a choice in the matter. But for reasons just like this, I argue that country music can pull us out of our consumer driven rut and back into the world of the real. Country music is a world where you can sing about beer and driving a truck and its OK to do so. Its fun. There is nothing to prove. Just as long as you have a catchy song that people can enjoy you have achieved your ultimate goal.

Sure, there are those lucky few country music artists who do make it into the top 40 countdowns, but they are rare and far between, and that’s not good enough. A genre that has so much passion and such a huge following should be provided to everyone. Yes it has its very own television stations etc. but not all of us have pay TV, and I would say that country music is for the average Joe, and what average Joe can even afford pay TV?

One thing I have learnt about country music though, is it seems to be stuck in a catch 22. In order to be publicised and actually earn money the song needs to be poppy enough to fit into the top 40 and mainstream countdowns however, within the country genre, when a song is poppy and moves away from the distinct deep country twangy sound, the artists are ridiculed and considered sell outs, or worse, glorified ‘lap dancers’ (as discussed in Ryan’s article “Lap Dancer or Hillbilly Deluxe? The Cultural Constructions of Modern Country”). So there lies the problem. Either the country music artists stay true to their country roots and end up poor and relatively unknown, or they become famous and well off ‘sell outs’. There is a thin line that the country music genre is straddling. No wonder its difficult for the country genre to break into the mainstream.

Although our arguments is that country music is under publicised and that more people should be given the opportunity to hear it, I do realise that music is in the tastes of the individual. As discussed in one of our class readings, “Fast or slow, country or pop, jazz or blues – Louis Armstrong (or Duke Ellington) expressed the universal truth. There are only two kinds of music: good and bad. Roger Rollin has added his own corollary to that judgment. In matters of aesthetic decision, only the ear of the beholder is relevant.” (Cooper, B. Lee,1997, “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me: Reflections on the Evolution of Popular Music and Rock Scholarship”, Popular Music and Society, Spring http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2822/is_/ai_20633221 ). So although we believe country deserves a wider audience, we cannot force it upon others, but instead we educate those about what else is out there.

Throughout writing this blog I have learned a lot. I have learned not only how under appreciated country music is in the mainstream, but I also learnt how huge it is on its own, which makes my first observation even more baffling. If it is such a huge genre, why aren’t we given more opportunity to it? Personally, I think this blogging form is a great way to reach people and spread the country word. We have had comments from random other bloggers and people seam to be either engaging in our ideas or at least reading them, so I think we have somewhat achieved our goal. Now if we could only get the word out to the wider community.

Country music is a great genre, and the more I have researched it the more I have been pulled in and the more I love it. Not just for the music but for the atmosphere and the general mood the genre brings. It has a real country quality. You feel like the people singing are not some super huge megastar but your next door neighbour. Someone you can go and visit on a Sunday afternoon for a beer around a camp fire. Its laid back, relaxed and care free, like there are more important things to life than high powered stress. To me, country music shows an ideal world, a community where you are not lost in the hustle bustle of life but where you have time to stop and appreciate the finer things.

I really hope that through this blog, we have shed some light on this relatively hidden genre. It’s a genre that everyone should experience and I hope that we have helped to do that, or at least give some more information on the genre so you may understand just what you are missing by not giving it a go. It’s a genre that can really change your perspective on things, and isn’t that what everyone needs now an again?

So spread the word, and join the country music world. Until you do, you wont know what you have been missing!

Jacki Tipton, signing off.

Thanks for reading!

We’ve Done Us Proud May 27, 2008

We have put a lot of effort into bringing country out of its shadow and into a new and brighter light and I believe we have been very successful. Therefore, I thought I would do one of my last blogs on the success and progress country music has already achieved throughout the past to where it is now.

Before Tamworth got involved about four decades ago, country music was in a completely different world. There were only a few artists who ‘worked’ as country music artists. This is very different from the flourishing industry that is seen today. So even if country music isn’t as mainstream as we believe it should be, it has still made a huge success from where it originally started.

When “Country and Western” music started to emerge more, the media belittled it and people did not take it seriously. “Country music artists and writers weren’t given the recognition or respect they deserved and there was little thought given to anyone to helping new talent and building new opportunities for artists” (Ellis 2007). Since country music got this bad media coverage, it was very hard for an artist to get a gig at any club, restaurant, or bar, let alone a venue bigger than that. As well, no national event or organization brought country music together, so artists didn’t even really know each other.

Once Tamworth became involved, country music started to see changes. The first Golden Guitar Awards in 1973 brought a “powerful magnetic effect, pulling artists, fans, and media into a compact and focused environment where country music was not just a sideshow but dominated the entire scene” (Ellis 2007). This festival that started everything for country music is now rated in the top 10 music festivals in the world. A survey showed there were 75,000 visitors at the 2007 Festival and at least 31,000 of them going through the Information Centre. These numbers exclude the tens of thousands of local/regional fans who attended the festival.

From the beginning of this festival, a new country music industry grew rapidly. People, including media and record companies, started to look at country music differently and take it seriously. “By 1999, some 20 percent of adult Australians in a national survey said country music was their favourite music, while 37 percent said they enjoyed listening to it” (Ellis 2007). By this time, country music had grown from a genre that was considered a joke to a genre that was respected.

Many organisations, like ‘Tamworth Regional Council and Tourism Tamworth’ and ‘the Chamber of Commerce’, are now investing huge amounts of money into country music to keep it growing. As well, the CMAA started up because of the Tamworth people giving it a secure base to start out on and the College of Country Music is still very successful. Other small events have also flourished to help support country – Star Quest, Tamworth Songwriters Awards, Tamworth Independent Artists Recognition Awards, Country Capital Music Association Talent Quest, People’s Choice Awards, Telstra Road to Tamworth, Bush Laureate Awards, Golden Harmonicas and Golden Fiddle Awards, and many others. The Golden Guitar Wax Museum and Walk A Country Mile are exhibits that also help preserve and promote country music. Furthermore, we must not forget all the radio stations, magazines, bulletins, and internet websites that have come about for country music.

“It’s time to salute Tamworth and Australian country music. In the words of Graeme Connors iconic song which Slim sang with such feeling, “We’ve Done Us Proud!!!”” (Ellis 2007).

I was very surprised to find out that the Tamworth Festival is the biggest country music happening in the southern hemisphere and far bigger than any American event. This surprised me because based on all the research that I have now done on country music and just talking to other students I got an impression that country music was bigger and covered more by the media in the United States. As well, the Golden Guitar Awards are one of the longest running music recognition systems in Australia. It is even “acclaimed as one of the media events of the year” (Ellis 2007). However, with the festival and Awards program being so big in the world, I still wonder why country music does not get more media coverage in Australia – I still feel that it could be hi-lighted so much more.

Ellis, M. 2007, ‘We’ve Done Us Proud’, History of Country Music in Australia.

http://www.historyofcountrymusic.com.au/wevedoneusproud.html

-Natalie Boyce

Star Maker May 27, 2008

The most successful and prestigious talent search in Australia for country music singers is Star Maker. BAL Marketing, a division of Radio 2TM, started Star Maker in 1979. Along with this, they were also already in charge of the Australian Country Music Awards. With the start of the talent quest, they wanted to focus on giving emerging artists a chance to emerge and enhance their talent and move away from recognising already established artists. It is now held on the first weekend of the festival in January at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre. The winner receives 12 months of promotion, both to the fans and music industry. This promotion includes their own 2 track CD that is released through ABC Music, a chance to perform at major country music events, and since 1998, Toyota, the sponsor of Star Maker, gives the winner a new vehicle for those 12 months. Many winners go very far in the country music industry. Some of the winners from past years have included Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, Gina Jeffreys, James Blundell, Beccy Cole, Brendon Walmsley Grand Junction, and many others.

Star Maker sounds very similar to Australian Idol and Nashville Star in the United States that was previously discussed by Rachelle, but yet just a shorter process. When Rachelle talked about Nashville Star she stated that she was surprised there wasn’t anything like this in Australia and I don’t believe anyone else respond saying that there was. Since a festival that is very similar to these TV shows is so popular and successful, I think that it would also be very successful as a TV show.

It was also very interesting to me that it isn’t more well known, at least as far as I know, since so many major country artists have come from this show, like Keith Urban who is a huge success all over the world.

‘History of Star Maker’, History of Country Music in Australia.

http://www.historyofcountrymusic.com.au/starmaker.html

-Natalie Boyce

South Australian (SA) Country Music Festival May 26, 2008

The 30^th Annual SA Country Music Festival is going to start this week! It will run from May 30^th to June 9^th throughout the SA Riverland and is sponsored by Berri Barmera District Council, Country Arts SA, and the Government of South Australia. This festival is the biggest and most prestigious in the state. It is the most important event on the SA Country Music Circuit and a major event for Riverland. It is also known as the Friendly Festival. People come from all over, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, England, USA, and many others, to join in the fun.

Talent, new and young, is discovered each year through the Music Awards, which will be held in 12 sections during June 6^th – 9^th. The winners of each section will then compete for the SA Award of Excellence at the SA Sunday Spectacular along with other nationally known artists.

Many artists, with different amounts of ‘fame’ will be performing. Some of the artists are: the “Multi Golden Guitar Winner” Troy Cassar – Daley and his Band, “Golden Guitar Winner” Feral Swing Katz, “Gold Guitar Winner” Trev Warner, “Starmaker Finalists” Kristy Cox, Royden Donohue, Murray Mac and True Grit, Mark Tempany, and Alison Hams, “SA Awards – Male Vocal Winner” Darin Warner, Rick ‘Roy Orbison’ Diamond, Gary Burrows, Shane Teinaki, Peter Warner, The Sherrahs, Bob Magor, Olive Bice, Chris ‘Truckin’ Stevens, SA Festival Band, Fully Loaded, Winchester, Frank Sargent, Vic Sturgeon, Gummy Bill, Bill Bedford, and lots more

Throughout these ten days there are many venues that are held at all different types of places like cafes, parks, hotels, clubs, theatres, halls, and concert centres. Most venues are free with a gold coin donation, however, some do require a fee.

To learn more about this festival check out the website – 2008 South Australian Country Music Festival and Awards

-Natalie Boyce

Lisa Mitchell; A Folk Girl with a Dash of Country May 26, 2008

Country music has evolved over time from folk music a genre that stretches back hundreds and hundreds of years, from countries all over the world, some typical examples include Irish and Scottish traditional folk music. In light of this evolution I recalled an up and coming Australian artists that is a little bit country with a whole lot of folk!

You may remember Lisa Mitchell from one of the many reality television programs sweeping our networks. Lisa was a contestant in Australian Idol in the year 2006. Lisa was different from most contestants for a number of reasons; firstly she was the youngest contestant at only sixteen years of age, she could write and play her own music and showed that she can perform exceptionally well in her preferred genres of folk and country music.

 Play the video below to watch her on Ausrtalian Idol 2006

Lisa is now seventeen years old and resides in her hometown Albury; she is most certainly one of the up and comers to lookout for. On May 21 Lisa launched her new EP called ‘Welcome to the Afternoon’, since Australian Idol she has moved more into the folk genre than the country genre, but she is an exceptional Australian artist that should be exposed to the Country music and mainstream charts.

In my opinion Lisa possess a country type voice and comprises lyrics and music typical of the country and folk genres. Lisa Mitchell maybe the answer country/folk music has been waiting for, she’s young she’s talented, the youths of Australia will relate to her, it is possible that someone of her character could open up the flood gates and push country/folk music into the mainstream. Lisa’s best asset is her unique sound, which is emphasised through her subtlety nasal vocals. I think it is her subtle combination of country/folk and pop that will see her break into the mainstream, whether this will help other country and folk artists; time will tell. Lisa Mitchell is definitely someone to get behind and lookout for in the future.

Play the video below to see her song ‘Incomplete Lulluby’

Post by: Ryan Witt

Hip Hop Vs Country May 25, 2008

I found this odd little ‘staged’ debate between two friends. The topic is ‘which is better, Hip Hop or Country Music’; I believe country is constructed to win the debate. The Hip Hop representative does not do the genre any favours; he chooses some rather bad musical examples to support his case. The country music representative chooses some wise classical examples of good old fashioned country music. However there is one thing for certain the dancing in this clip is shameful!

In Rugby League its City Vs Country…

In this guys car its Hip Hop Vs Country

Take a look….

Post by: Ryan Witt