As I sat around pondering what in the world I was going to write about for my first column it came down to one logical topic, music. I began looking around my room and it hit me; almost everything that inspires me as a singer/songwriter comes from my parents’ generation of music not from my own.

I will say I have a few modern favorites, but almost all of them are along the lines of one hit wonders. I guess the big time radio people don’t hear what I hear when I jam out to Ashton Shepherd or Kate Vogel.

Music pretty much consumes my life. In fact, I am fairly confident in saying that at some point in time music consumes everyone. Whether it be four minutes in your car with the radio, or a life long dream to be the next big thing to hit the industry, music is a part of all of us.

I find it fascinating when another human being can pick up a basic instrument and make sense of my world. I believe that music is more like romance, hope, and inspiration. I believe it is therapy.

As I think about our generation’s music I cant help but feel somewhat sorry for us. Yes, we have technological advances that no other generation has ever conceived of. Yes, we have the ability to download whatever the heck we want, whenever we want it, but look at our options.

I’m not sure how many people will be on board with me when I say that our generations “mainstream” music is lacking something. I can’t even listen to the radio anymore, in fact I refuse to.

What the heck is a “stanky leg?” Why in the world is Taylor Swift so popular, and why are people “yelling” about beating each other up? What happened to the value and the deep meaning behind lyrics? Did it all die with the hippies?

I am all about giving people free creative range, but honestly, how hard is it to make up some of the garbage that graces our radio waves today? How hard is it to transition from actress to singing sensation overnight? My point is it seems way to easy and extremely uninspiring.

Human beings thrive off of music. Music is believed to be the first form of communication even outdating speech. Fascinating isn’t it?

I have noticed that almost every time I get in a friends car they are listening to a CD rather than the radio. I notice that people are all of the sudden buying their favorite artists albums in hope of finding something of worth between tracks one and 15.

I have personally found myself searching through the internet waiting to come across a “no-namer” with something good to say. I ask myself why, why are we getting the shaft?

Have we given to much creative range to the industry by buying their product? Are they pulling one over on us because they believe we will buy anything with a good beat? Why do we find some of this stuff so great?

Now I will admit that some of the garbage I speak of has made my foot tap a few times, and with a little bit of liquid courage I have found myself on the dance floor “leaning with it and rocking with it,” but I would never consider it life altering. I would never consider it soul searching.

I won’t go as far as to say that everything on the radio is lacking something because that’s just not true. There are still a lot of amazing artist out there making amazing music, it just seems like the ratio of meaningful music to bull is about four to one.

So I leave you with this suggestion. Look beyond what the industry feeds you. Search beyond what they consider radio worthy and together our generation can once again find what music is really about.

In my opinion, the day that I think it’s just about making money is going to be the day that I’ve betrayed everything I believe in about music, life, and myself.