Music needs therapy

I love music. I listen to music whenever I get a chance and I'm indoctrinating my children. Yes, Emma has Dora songs memorized and all the Disney Princess tunes ring through our rooms almost daily. But she is just as familiar with U2 and John Mayer and some songs on the radio as she is with the songs marketed to her age group. I believe that music can improve, release and heal any emotional state. I listen to music so often that it's not unusual for me to be oblivious of my students coming into the room when I've been grading with my iPod on. (Sorry Leanne, I'm showing my submission to the onslaught of Apple's monopolization of technology. Hold on, my iMicrowave just beeped: the popcorn's ready.) It is with this in mind that I have 2 comments to make:

#1 - What the hell is happening to popular radio and music. Have you listened to some of the crap they're broadcasting? "I wanna make love in da club"? REALLY? Why? This begs another question too, who is agreeing to produce this music and sell it? And why? Why is it OK to discuss "hittin' it from the back" on the radio at 2:00 in the afternoon? I suppose I'm showing my age (gasp) and the fact that I have kids but it bothers me - morally as well as musically. I know that I am a child of the Nirvana revolution but I'm pretty sure that Kurt Cobain didn't discuss "hittin' it" with the neighbor and worrying about what he would say if they were discovered ("it wasn't me", perhaps?). Drug use was discussed but that's been a topic in music since the 60s. I guess sex has been in music for a while now too, but never so blantantly and with XXX rating. I mean, The Turtles including sexual innuendo in a pop "ditty" is a far cry from Flo Rida talking about "getting low". I hate it. All the good music being played and written is overshadowed by the shock-jock, club-bumping crap that every Jay-Z wannabe cranks out to get his 4.25 minutes of fame. It's disgusting. Blech.

#2 (in a completely different vein) I am impressed, no floored, nay... AWED by my brother's musicianship. The longer he plays, writes, and composes (yep, you heard me - composes) the better he gets. I am mildly musical: I enjoy listening and playing music although I rarely do the latter lately. Jay is so talented. He can play multiple instruments (including guitar and piano) and is wicked fast on the drums. He is beginning to be "recruited", for lack of a better word, to work on albums with really talented artists. And all the while he's still writing and playing his own stuff.

I guess all this to say this...
Much "popular" music (I don't know who's listening to it) sucks. Jay is on his way to becoming a musical genius even though he already is in my book. And most importantly - if Jay recommends music to you, you know it's gonna be good. Check out his blog and myspace page for his ownnew creations.