Music

I have often wondered about the importance and meaning of music in our lives . It is fairly obvious that it does hold a pretty meaningful existence in our lives . If that is not reflected in the countless music albums that flood your local music store so regularly , the fact becomes undeniable when you look around you - people with fancy i-pods plugged into their ears or headbanging at the recent Deep-Purple concert in town . If that is still not enough - what did you recently download on your PC ? Chances are that it was the latest music video which you desperately wanted to see ! Music is everywhere ; and atleast as an industry if not nothing else it is alive and kicking !

Most people turn to music to unwind . It transports us to a world of beats and rhythms where you can sit back and get lost in it's magic - away from the busy world of phonecalls , meetings , exams or projects .... and what not ! Music also reflects our individuality . While some of us may enjoy the sweet melody of Lata Mangeshkar or Asha Bhonsle , many of us would rather headbang to the songs of Black Sabbatth or Judas Priest . Some of us like the psychedelic rock of Pink Floyd , others still prefer the rock and roll of The Beatles or Led Zeppelin . Some like me enjoy both !

The music industry is an arena which has seen the rise and fall of many classic artists and bands . From the early Beatles , Elvis and Bob Dylan era to the rocking 70s dominated by The Who , The Yardbirds , Rolling Stones , Led Zeppelin , Ramones , The Rasmus to the rise of Micheal Jackson , The Police , Backstreet Boys to the present day pop of Britney Spears or Shakira - the music industry has certainly given us the best ! Be it the metal of Iron Maiden , Megadeth , or Pantera , the rap of 50 cent , Eminem , the grunge of Pearl Jam , Nirvana or Audioslave or the wonderful compositions of individuals like Lennon , Bryan Adams , or John Denver , Kenny Rogers - each of their music appeal differently to different people in taste ( or distaste ) .

Music is a flourishing industry today . But even though this may appear to be a good thing - a word of caution . Blatant commercialisation can be harmful to music , or for that matter any art . So even though MTV has brought music to our homes it has to some extent had a harmful effect . Thanks to commercialisation , a new concept called 'music video ' has come into existence . It appears that more emphasis is being laid on glamour , fashion , style and presentation than on the actual music .

Music is a very creative art . It's future lies in the hands of the artists and more importantly the audience - the people for whom it is meant . Music certainly plays a very important role in our lives ... it helps us destress and we derive enjoyment from it . Here's to everyone who love music !!

Happy New Year !!

Goodbye , 2006 !

It's that time of the year again . Christmas is around the corner . It's family time , enjoyable holidays , good food and wild parties . The year has gone by and it's time for us to usher into a new year - 2007 . So much to look forward to ! Perhaps what makes this time of the year so special is not good food , great parties or the brilliant Hollywood movies that will flood the movie theatres in a few days ... but the joy of having overcome the challenges of the past year and the embracing of fresh challenges with an equal enthusiasm .