I have witnessed the stagnation of many people’s musical experiences and explorations –  this is a result of routine lifestyles. Routine has created a stif-fness in the emotions felt by many. Routine, in totality, is difficult to break away from – the human soul finds comfort in its predictability. Fortunately, the effects felt from routine can be limited and filtered.

Music is a changing, morphing and ever evolving artistic outlet that provides the soul a crack to shine through in poetic harmonies. For the majority of beings, we are unable to compose our own concertos and, therefore, immerse ourselves in the music of others. Unfortunately, for many this leads to routine – this must be broken in order to satisfy the soul.

The options for breaking free from the shackles of routine are extensive, and no option is greater than the other. I do recommend one form – extensive exploration of a genre that is tasteful to yourself. For instance, if I enjoy the ranging guitar of Jimi Hendrix I would then dive deep into rock and discover similar artists. This task is evolutionary and should not become tedious or static – change up the genre or the artist of interest if it becomes so.

Music brings pleasure to the soul and, I would argue, has the power to heal. If your life is rather low, and music is something you like, explore the vast range of music. We live in a small world. Music is ranging over hundreds of genres – to live your life in one genre and seldom change habits promotes conformity to the static nature of routine.

Kyle Kashuv recently tweeted that there is no true point to music, that there are better things to occupy one’s time with. The purpose of music is to be an outlet for those who are artisticly inclined and those who appreciate the connection that the poet creates.

Though Kashuv is an entitled little man who believes his knowledge is infallible, he makes a good point. There are better things to occupy one’s time with – for instance, exploring more music, branching out into the unknown and finding the weird music that soothes the soul.

As a reminder, our lives naturally fall into routine. This is detrimental to our being and the happiness we find. Music is naturally healing and can change the way you feel.

Expand your horizon, and become a music explorer – not a genre groupie.

With love,

Benjamin Zahnd

Oct. 5 marked the release of Twenty One Pilots’ newest album “Trench,” described by some as their most important album release yet.

After taking a three year sabbatical, which they have done between every album they have released before, Twenty One Pilots have put out an album that sounds more prophetic and rugged – as if they climbed the unexplored regions in their minds to find a balance between rock and modern electronic-pop.

It is custom for a band’s previous work to be brought to examination after the release of a new album. Compared to preceding works, Twenty One Pilots took a more mature, deep-seated approach to their music. “Blurryface,” characterized by basic musical movements and overplayed sounds, is a polar opposite when compared to “Trench.”

“Blurryface” is in your face and intoxicating, energetic and energizing, passionate and praiseful. Songs like “Stressed Out” are plucky, choppy and poppy – everything depressed teens appreciate. Others like “Goner” are deep and reflective about times of pain.

Differing from the preceding album, “Trench” is calm and considered, tender and touchy, visceral and venerable. Songs like “Jumpsuit” demonstrate an energy that is new and refreshing – in relation to the alternative-pop scene. Yet others like “Bandito,” are xerox copies of earlier works, a disappointing turn for many.

Though Twenty One Pilots’ newest album is a better expression of what modern music should sound like, they have failed to hit the broad side of the barn. Their explicit effort to be popular and hip has hindered their ability to adapt to changing times and past musical truths.

Fortunately, they are not the only band that suffers from this disease.“Trench” shows the new mature adult-like band that Twenty One Pilots are morphing into. I predict their next album to fully transform into a new rock persona, extending their listening to a new group of followers.

Although Twenty One Pilots’ newest album does not resonate with me, that does not mean I am the keeper of all things true. We as individuals study music in different ways. For many, Twenty One Pilots are a cool breeze in a time of musical heat.

Photo courtesy of Twenty One Pilots

In 1965, Richard Harriman sought to bring undiscovered musical artists to the eyes of Kansas Citians and to ultimately unleash the unlimited power of music at no cost for those attending William Jewell College.

Luciano Pavarotti made his professional recital debut for the Harriman Jewell Series in 1973. Pavarotti sang five more times for the Series. Thanks to Harriman, Kansas City and the Jewell community saw first-hand the evolution of Pavarotti’s career and ultimately witnessed a star being born.

Thanks to Harriman’s passion, more than 900 performances have come to the Kansas City area, many being recital debuts for new artists.

Last weekend marked the 50-year reunion of the 1968 graduating class. Many expressed their favorite memories which included the Harriman Jewell concerts they attended.

“The opportunity to go to a world-class event for free is one of the great benefits of a William Jewell College experience,” said Clark Morris, executive and artistic director for the Series and vice president of advancement for William Jewell.

In planning the upcoming seasons, the Harriman Jewell staff works tirelessly to assemble the very best artists and ensembles from all over the globe to expand our musical borders. The performances they arrange are important mind-expanding opportunities. According to the staff, their tenets for the Series are quality, variety and discovery. These tenets guide their selection processes as they look for a diverse mix of both new and familiar high-quality artistic events – as not to become repetitive.

The Harriman Jewell Series’ mission is to bring the best of the performing arts to the Kansas City community. This season is a reflection of their overture.

This year the Kansas City and Jewell community are truly blessed to observe the elite ensembles of orchestral passion: the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Mariinsky Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony.

“Every year is exciting, but we are particularly pleased to present a unique collection of some of the world’s greatest orchestras all in one season,” Morris said.

Saturday, Sept. 22 marked the official launch of the 2018-2019 Harriman Jewell Series with Alyson Cambridge as the christening artist. Cambridge has the magnificent ability to sing complicated operatics and jazz during the same show – a difficult task for most artists.

“For the first-year students who may be skeptical of these concerts, give it a try. When I first came to Jewell I didn’t know what I was getting in to, and it was my roommate that insisted we get tickets. I was amazed at the experience and have gone to hundreds of concerts since and am so grateful for this opportunity. You don’t have to like everything you see and hear, but I think everyone will find something that you like,” advised Morris.

For others who are unsure whether they want to expose themselves to the other end of the music spectrum, recognize that they are free events – perfect for cheap dates and opportunities to impress that special someone.

The Harriman Jewell Series challenges Jewell students to listen to the sounds of music that has stood the test of time and critique their understanding of rhythmic art. It is recommended for students to take this opportunity to step out of their comfort zone by being present at a Series event.

The joyous congregation of artists demands our ears and eyes to observe the processes of music to form appreciation. To take advantage of the Harriman Jewell Series is to allow our minds to wander in the areas unknown.

Photo courtesy of hjseries.org 

In September of 1968, Cream, accompanied by Ginger Baker on drums, Eric Clapton on guitar and Jack Bruce on bass released “Wheels of Fire”– an album that would send the world into a spiral of epic proportions.

Beginning the album with the “White Room,” Cream established themselves by filling the song with drum breaks that soothe the soul and guitar riffs that shove modern-day preloaded trap beats to the floor screaming for their mommy.

Originally written by poet Pete Brown, “White Room” describes a realm filled with crippling depression and hopelessness. At the time that Pete Brown wrote “White Room,” the song was originally called “Cinderella’s Last Goodnight.”

“It was about some doomed hippie girl,” said Brown in his interview with Rolling Stone. “Jack [Bruce] didn’t like it… then I found this eight-page poem I’d written that had things about white rooms and other stuff in it… the band loved it.”  

So with the consent of Pete Brown, Cream adopted the poem’s beauty as its own.  

Throughout “Wheels of Fire” there is a common occurrence of structured melodies that add a leveled thought-provoking idealism to a not-your-normal rock and roll band. For instance, “Pressed Rat and Warthog” brings a psychedelic tone to a child’s style of storytelling. Others, like “Politician,” create a politically charged critique of the modern-day politician by ironically characterizing them stating, “I’m a political man, and I practice what I preach.”

Upon its release, “Wheels Of Fire” was given an appalling review by Rolling Stone magazine that claimed “White Room” was “practically an exact duplication of ‘Tales of Brave Ulysses’ … including the exact same lines for guitar, bass and drums.” If you listen to both songs, they are reasonably similar in structure, but nowhere near the level of relatedness Rolling Stone claimed. Despite the magazine spitting on “White Room” by labeling it a bad song, many argue that it is one of Cream’s best songs. That just proves that not everything you read has to be the truth.

Although Rolling Stone magazine dropped a nuclear bomb on the shores of “Wheels of Fire,” the human light-forces that occupy this world took to this album like ants to sugar-water, sending the album to number one on Billboard’s Top 100, where it would stay on top for 50 more weeks.

Rock Words of the Week:

Rock and roll, more importantly, music has a way of bringing different types of human creatures together in harmony and peace. If we, as a society, listen to the famous lyrics of Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved” and allow love to part the ideas of hate, like Moses parted the seas, “love would never leave us alone.”