Art is created through the things we experience as people, each piece of art is a representation of a story, even when there isn’t one. Every person has the ability to create; their unique makeup and perspectives develop who they are and what they believe. Music is an incredibly powerful medium — its ability to connect people through sound is reflected through its relevance to culture. Music has evolved from stories and experiences and continues to give voice to those who are voiceless. As an artist, your ‘voice’ isn’t just vocals or lyrics, it’s also the fundamentals of who you are and what drives your art. Recently, I’ve been thinking about this and how my artistic identity has shaped who I am and the significance it has on the world around me.
Music has an incredibly powerful ability to induce new perspectives in listeners, musical subcultures are created through rebellion or sparked from major events inspiring people to speak up. The most powerful musical movements have been created in response to the decade defining events in the world. The musical commentaries that have been repeatedly made, shape the generations that create them. Analyzing the relationship between music and politics is incredibly interesting; whatever we see in our popular culture, will ultimately create that clapback of all the people who disagree, and it can be a very powerful thing. Artistic identity is built off of the ethics of the artist, the creation of art is a piece of who they are. This artistic voice is significant in shaping the piece of art beyond its artistic form, the meaning matters.
As a musician, I spend a lot of time thinking about the meaning behind what I write in my songs. I try to take advantage of the power of voice in my songs, sometimes they are subtle, metaphorical and filled with double meanings to get people to think. Sometimes, when things are more severe and I am more desperate for an outlet to scream from rooftops, I write more obviously in order to get the point across. However, words aren’t even a requirement. We take advantage of how much music can truly communicate. The movement of chords and harmonies construct entire worlds around us, even if we don’t realize. There will always be that one person who asks “Ummm where are the lyrics?” when meeting an instrumental song, but there is so much more beyond the lack of meaning that is presumed. Music has the ability to engulf emotion into whoever listens without words, ‘voice’ doesn’t necessarily mean exactly that.
Artistic ‘voice’ isn’t a sung melody or drawn-out belt, but rather the significance to the artist, what drives them. Art is created through struggle, or experience, our strongest movements have come through political turmoil and difference of opinion. 2024 being an election year inspires many conversations, and thoughts for artists in many ways. Approaching voting season, think about what your voice means to you, and what you can do to communicate it. If your art is meaningful to you, and all that stands behind it, it is your responsibility as an artist to get involved in the current topics in the world. Artistic identity is the way to express all aspects of your experience through art, it can allow people to hear exactly what needs to be heard, and it all depends on you.
