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"I know of no more encouraging fact
than the unquestionable ability of man
to elevate his life by conscious endeavor"
Henry David Thoreau

Youth Speak: Rock is Good!
by Vanessa Abella

Rock music is noise. This is the common notion of most people who have not been exposed to listen to such kind of music. For them, it is understood as anything that contains shouts or growls coming from the vocalist combined with the distorted sounds arising from the loud guitar riffs, heavy bass lines, and hard pounding on the drums. These characterizations serve as basis to show that this genre of music is an evil's work. It is believed that the unpleasant voices are created by rock bands/performers who are possessed by demons or otherworldly creatures. On the whole, they believe that it does not do the listeners any good.

However, some people consider these perceptions untrue. These people are already familiar with rock music. They believe that rock music is the best tool in expressing their innermost thoughts and feelings. By listening to such kind of music, they are able to gain benefits or good effects - psychologically, mentally, and socially.

Rock and roll is often used as a generic term for rock music. However, its sound is rarely predictable. At first, its roots were mainly attributed to the combination of country music and blues, defined by its energy, rebellion, and catchy sounds. Nevertheless, as it became increasingly accepted, it started to shed those very characteristics, placing equal emphasis on craftsmanship and pushing the boundaries of music. As the genre aged, it began to lose much of its rebelliousness that initially gave it its power. For most of its life, rock has been fragmented, spinning off new styles and variations every few years. These manifestations of change are only natural for a genre that began its life as a fusion of styles.

There are many types of rock music. These include: progressive/acid rock, surf music, heavy metal, disco, punk, new wave, and rap (McLeese, 1999, World Book deluxe edition, [CD.Rom]). What's more, these are further subdivided into different categories. However, these are not to be tackled in full detail anymore since it requires a lengthy discussion, which can possibly deviate one's attention from the topic being discussed.

Moving on, as the number of rock styles increase, so do the misconceptions of people about this certain type of genre. Since it is distinguished by its heavy and aggressive approach, most people view it in just one word: noise. It just creates chaos and generates anger and violence to its listeners, which are mostly found among the youth. This genre of music is accounted for youth's deviant mode of behavior. As a result, this music is blamed for most, if not all, of society's woes, as it does not contribute goodness to the character of its listeners.

However, some people may wonder how the youth and all of the other rock fans continue to listen to such kind of music amidst its reputation of being wicked and immoral. There are three main reasons for this. First, it becomes an outlet for their negative feelings. It can be an emotional release of stress, anger, and other forms of angst. This is done through a process called primal scream therapy, where a person is encouraged to scream his or her loudest as a way to alleviate stress (No author, 2000, http://www.bartleby.com/61/68/P0556850.html). Most rock musicians execute very loud shouts and harsh growls to be able to let loose of the negative feelings that have locked up inside of them. It is in this light that rock music serves as a primal scream therapy.

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