The Project «The Youth and Music»

"When I was one-and-twenty."

A.E.Housman

When I was one-and-twenty,

I heard a wise man say:

"Give crowns and pounds, and guineas,

But not your heart away;

Give pearls away and rubies,

But keep your fancy free."

But I was one-and-twenty,

No use to talk to me.

Young people have a particular relation-ship with the world. It seems to me that everything about us, our hair, our music, our clothes, the way we talk, our heroes, our dreams, all are considered bad by the old (fathers) generation. There are many grouping (subcultures) that have interests different from those of the mainstream culture.

And what is today's mainstream?

In the broadest sense, subcultures are groups within a larger complex culture. Different subcultures have their own beliefs, value systems, fashion, and favorite music. I think, the inspiration to form a youth culture comes out of a combination of fashion, style and music.In many ways the elder generation cannot understand the younger because there is a problem of generation, the problem of fathers and kids.

Besides most teenagers are unsure of where they are going, they don't have an idea.

And youth culture is a way of having something that they can say - they belong to and that they are a "whatever".

I am what I am

I am my own

Special creation.

So come take a look.

Give me the hook

Or the ovation.

It's my world that

I want to have

A little pride in.

My world…

And it's not a plase

I have to hide in.

Life's not worth a damn

Until you can say

I am what I am

And very often it's the particularity of the music, which then gathers a group and then extends and develops. Music festivals are the events in the youth culture, which are remembered.

But now we are not going to speak about grouping and their music. We are not going to describe Goth and bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division and Bauhaus We'll not describe hippie and their Beatnik subculture.

The topic we are going to speak about is very serious and important. It is special because it concerns the whole society so everybody of us. This topic is "Music and drugs".

People often associate youth culture and youth violence with drug usage. What is our attitude towards drugs and drug addiction? Of course drug addiction causes to loose everything, financially and emotionally. Drugs ruin our dreams. Drugs ruin families. They make our lives unhappy.Nowadays techno life means nonstop partying. Partying usually makes people take drugs.

"Disco"

The unpleasant side of drugs is degradation. All drugs destroy people.

It is the urgent issue. About the actuality of this topic the ruthless figures speak:

• 200 young people die from drugs in Russia every day;

• 10 000 000 drug users - in Russia;

• for the last 10 years the mortality (deaths-rate) from usage of drugs has increased in 40 times in our country.

We can fight against drug usage only by convincing and by upbringing.

And music as any other kinds of art, as sport and other exciting activities can help people suffering from drug addict.Music can serve as prophylactic measure of drug usage.

But there are musical bands and performers, which are full of narcomanical glory.

They are: scandal famous group - Sex Pistols, Bob Marley, died from drug taking. Kurtka Bane also died from drug taking. Elvis Priestly died from drug taking.Their music can provoke usage of drugs.

Fortunately there is a lucky example. Kate Richards gave up taking drugs and now he performs successfully together with Mike Jaggier, the guitar player and the author of the songs for Rolling Stones. Music is not guilty. Music itself may be the best drug for as. Certain sound emotions cause the effect of flight. It is pleasant to listen to such music in a plane.

And what music can cause positive emotions? Folk music, classical, sacred, organ, spiritual music, harmony music inspires people; make them free from excitement, appeals to our hearts, to our feelings. Such music brings us info state of great happiness produced as if by a drug. It may be the music by Persol, Vivaldi or hymns. Let's listen to such music and without any drugs we'll enjoy the world of beautiful dreams.

It was the music by Rolf Lowland, performed by Irish symphony orchestra. Slow, relaxed music can give a sleep-producing effect. If may be blues, lullabies. But words must not be about loneliness, sadness or lost love.

If a young man is addicted to cocaine, a drug used illegally for pleasure, or amph- etamine, a drug taken by people wanting excitement, in such cases it is necessary to listen to very calm and low emotional music. Jazz and landscape music will do.

And it is very important not to be alone. Let's pay attention to people who are near us. Let's help them. And music will help us.

And if a doctor keep trying to break young man of his dependence on the drug it is better for the addict to listen to energetic music with clear rhythm in the style of hard rock heavy metal speed metal or rap. These musical styles mobilize the resources of the organism the mental forces. As if the music says to young man: "Up and Go! It is time to struggle for yourself ! "

Besides kids should be listening to music with messages like staying away from drugs. There are some rap songs that are all right. Rap may even help young man to express his feelings.

Rap-serenade(video)

Some grouping such as raver, punks mod or rockers listen to computer-made, synthesized music and drugs to try out all sorts of options, to express their identity. They are associated with something rebellions, aggressive and violent. We mean psychedelic or acid rock. Acid is a type of chemical substance which may destroy things it touches.

And as for psychedelic music it changes human powers of thinking and under- standing things. It fills completely your attention your interest your time. It absorbs you in another reality. As if hallucinated young man in the result of drug usage. LSD for example. You may listen to acid jazz relaxing working doing your everyday affairs. Acid music may help you to produce unusual non-standard ideas.

All of us depend on something: TV, computers, shopping or music. Do you know that music by Skrjabin is compared with drugs in the part of influence people? Music is the best drug for people. It enriches us.

I agree with you some music is immoral. Concerning the teens they need music to escape from the boring world from the world of different duties aggressive pressing world in which they live.

Music for teenagers is powerful means of identity with some group of mates. Music is means of escaping from loneness. I agree some kind of music is violent and some music destroy our minds destroy our ears. But I don't think that banning music is the answer.

To my minds our parents must be concerned about music we listen to. They should be careful about CD they buy for us. Besides no music likings are everlasting. People age changes, our interests change and our circle of friends change too. I am sure teenagers become good citizens. Some who were punks became editors of famous newspapers.

Listen to Ulia Drunina`s poem:

" И мы пижонами были когда-то

а время пришло и пошли мы в солдаты…"

If only adult people are tolerant enough young people will learn to listen to "right" music some when. As Mark Twain once said: "When I was a boy of 14 my father was so ignorant that I could hardly stand to have the old man around .But when I got to be 21 I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."

If only adult people listen to teens` music attentively they will hear in it similarity with high music. Take Bach for example. Here you'll find everything that rock has. Bach is the whole Universe. There are different tunes and rhythms in it.

Dependence from music gives you the rich world. Music can save you from destroying of drugs .Music will save you from heavy dependence on drugs. That is the high influence of ART .The aspiration to fly over the fuss of our everyday life makes us to seek for different passions. It's great when music goes up and up to Heaven. It's an unforgettable feeling.

Когда счастливый круг земной

Обрел моря и сушу,

Господь из музыки одной

Людскую создал душу.

В переплетении ветвей

Небес весны холодной,

Пусть будет музыка

Твоей звездою путеводной.

Пусть будет музыка с тобой

В тиши и в звуках грома,

В пути вперед, в стране любой,

В стенах родного дома.

Пусть собираются толпой

Друзья и незнакомцы.

Пусть просят все:

«Сыграй и спой!»

Как птица в свете солнца!

It was a poem by Olga Garpenko and the song by Irish composer Rolf Lowland, performed by Brian Kennedy. «Ты поднимаешь меня над вершинами гор, над штормящим морем Ты поднимаешь меня над самим собой». It is impossible to disguise the fact that addicts seek the same sensation (feeling) in drugs. But they are awfully mistaken. They are mistaken to death. As for music? It gives us high feelings. But MUSIC never betrays our trust. MUSIC never deceives.

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