Western Music
by Laura Strickland
When
I’m writing, I’m usually also listening to music. It serves as a magical elixir
for me, one that transports me to the time and I place I’m creating on the
page. Music summons a mood, with which I
then strive to infuse my writing.
It’s
no different when I’m penning my Wylder West stories. For my first book, A Walk
on the Wylder Side, I dug deep into some of the music to which I listened years
ago, from artists such as Neil Young, The Eagles, and The Farm Dogs, to mention
but a few.
But what is true Western music? It’s not really the Country/Folk songs of the Seventies, love them as I do. Turns out, like the West itself, it has a nature all its own. Just like our town of Wylder, Western music is a combination of what the people who settled the West brought with them: Latin, Celtic, Anglo, African, and everything in between. All this was influenced by the way of life these settlers founded out West, which wasn’t easy. Cowboys on the trail might comfort themselves through lonely nights with songs they knew back East. Women scrubbing clothes might sing tunes learned at the knees of their mothers in Europe. A mosaic was born, and like all mosaics it was stronger than the sum of its parts, and very beautiful.
The railroads helped spread these blended songs, as did the wagon trains before them. By the mid-nineteenth century, a distinct style had been born. Whether it’s a waltz to which couples danced at a town gathering, or the plaintive crooning of a drifter with nothing but a train whistle for company, we know it when we hear it. I believe it contains a piece of our history, colored by the vast, reaching expanse of the West itself. Current music picked up pieces of this, to become uniquely American. A great example of this metamorphosis is this gem, from James Taylor.
Laura, I love this post!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love music--it's nearly always playing in my house. Eclectic is how I'd describe my music interests. I listen to a wide range, but you've mentioned some of my favorites here. James Taylor--love him! And the Eagles and Neil Young, too! :)
Me too, Sarita. Music has been such a meaningful companion all my life!
DeleteAn interesting post, Laura. Music always plays a big part in my stories, as it is my background. My late husband was a Texas singer/songwriter so our lives were immersed in that world. You are so right about the music of the wild west being influenced by many different cultures. One thing all the songs of that era had in common - they told a story. Thank you for sharing today!
ReplyDeleteJan, yes indeed, stories used to tell a story. I remember my maternal grandfather, who came from Atlantic Canada with a Celtic background, complaining about the music in the sixties lacking a story. But I think in a way, all music tells a story, if only in the emotions it evokes.
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