What Happened to the Passion? by Ethan M.

I don’t know if there is anything else in this world that I enjoy more than music. It is the one thing in this world that can completely turn things around. It’s something that we can connect with, something that we can channel all our emotions into. It can mean many different things to different people, but the one thing that is true for us all is that it is one of the strongest defining points of who we are. Music is one true form of expression and human passion; the hardships and reality of life, poetry straight from the heart. So it’s not surprising how we can connect with these songs and the lyrics. That is real music.

But today, we are seeing the meaning fade. More and more young musicians are throwing away the actual music, for an image. Everybody wants to be a rock star; I mean doesn’t being rich and famous appeal to you? That image is constantly burned into this generation of teenage minds. The image is becoming more powerful that the meaning and we see more and more teens conforming to these MTV labels. Everyone has their own taste in music; you just need to find it. When you can really connect with a song and the words mean more than just ink on a piece of paper; that is real. We don’t need to dress a certain way to fit in with the crowd.


When it began, for those who don't know
It didn't matter how you looked or what you wore to a show
Dress codes, F*** NO! we didn't care
About the brand of your jeans and all that s*** in your hair

But now the biggest part is all about the image and not the art
Fashion before passion!
And at nights, it makes me mad that I should have to ask:
What happened to the passion? (passion!)
What the reason for screaming?
What happened the music and the message that I love?
What happened to the hard work? (hard work!)
And why does everybody look the same?

What happened the music and the message that I love?

-H2O


This song pretty much defines all I’m trying to get across. We constantly see teenagers falling into this conformity, adopting something that’s not themselves for the happiness and acceptance of others. It’s something that’s happening way too often, our youth are not being true to themselves or anyone else and they lose themselves completely as a unique individual. We need to understand that we can be whatever we want to be, but these images have become so strong that everyone is afraid of being different, afraid of saying what they really feel, of expressing true emotion. Well I say stand up and show us who you really are.