LNP2

So many things to say with such little page to say it. The topic of this edition of "pragmatics" is about unity. As a collective community of cultural diversity, we need to compromise, cooperate, and find a common ground! Alaska is filled with people from all walks of life. Truly a "melting pot" of different backgrounds and heritage. The gold rush, petroleum extraction, and the military have imported a multitude to the populous, along with their opinions and beliefs.    "How does this relate to matters of music scene development?" you ask. If you stay with me until the end of this rant we might find out together. All I know is that the seeds of greatness have been planted, and it's up to us to cultivate, and harvest this hybrid of new ideas.

It is truly an effort in futility to discriminate against and disparage another's musical taste to further satisfy some selfish lust of purity regarding what little scene we have in this huge state. I have been guilty of the same, as I'm sure most others have. I've gotten better over the years, but I'm still working on it.

The fact of the matter is.... there will always be new ideas, improvements on existing ideas, and a general reconstruction of ideals, when it comes to music, media, art, and literature, basically, most of the ways that we absorb knowledge and learn. A sort of renaissance if you will. Why is this an uncontrollable recurring theme? Because, every generation wants to surpass its predecesors? The youth often say, "They were just ignorant back then and didn't know what was good." I say that if it weren't for those who came before us, we wouldn't be where we are!

Shit needs to change sometimes. Try listening to the same CD over and over again. Some people can do it though, which amazes me, but there needs to be change eventually. Why do seasons change in a given year? To bring forth new life. If nothing ever changed, life would become insipid and boring. However, eventually a new life would birth from this cesspool of stagnation. Didn't life on this Earth supposedly crawl out of some primordial soup? Like organisms in symbiotic harmony, that work together, to co-exist in the ecosystem. Life will find a way to sustain life. It will either work together for a common resolve, or natural selection will occur and one will die to let the other live.

What we seem to have in Alaska is, many different styles of music, that share the same scene, and are all working against each other.   I understand that everyone has different tastes when it comes to what they like. Some of you listen to punk, some listen to metal, some listen to both, and others don't like any of it. It's all a matter of personal prefference.

A freind of mine said the other day, "There just isn't enough room for punk and metal in the scene." That was a heartbreaking thing to hear.   Even more dissapointing is the fact that he also speaks of unity. I'm begining to wonder what kind of unity he's talking about.

If only there were a way to change the opinions and mind set of everyone to be more accepting of all genres of rock. Something so extreme would be quite improbable and thought of as an act of a much higher power. Unless there were a band that just rocked so much ass that everyone couldn't help but like them.   Even then there would be those that would be over critical of something so "perfect". I believe it is possible, and when it happens I will be there.

The only idea that can truly be expressed is that of keeping an open mind. In a scene this small it's just immature to be pompous and arrogant about what type of music should and should not be accepted in this scene. Let it go. This is Alaska. Who's to be impressed? We're isolated, outdated, and obsolete in the 49th state. Or hadn't you noticed?

You wanna make some noise? Try to DO IT TOGETHER!!! Get passed your petty standards of the way music should be in the scene. "But Anchorage is a "Punk" scene." you say.   I say that if there is too much of the same shit....... it will get stagnant, and no one will care anymore. Cooperation and acceptance of the way others express themselves, will only make for a stronger scene. Imagine if we could find that common ground where everything were palletable to everyone. It would be that much more rock to move your ass!!!!    How could anyone have a problem with that?

Music will bring us together. It has been bringing people together for long before any of us were here. Learn all you can from the past, for a better future. I have so much more to say on this topic, but I assure you that it will get posted at another time. It's late, I'm not feeling well, and I've made my point clearly enough. Or at least satisfactory to my own standards. Keep hope alive. Long live the scene. Unify and storm the gates. Love to all.