'Let's Talk Music' (The first in a series.)
Most "rock/pop" music today is disposable. There are no more personalities. Personality is what the people want. Some people looking at music today, as a whole, would say "rock music is dead". It never died; it's always been here - just reinvented.

Music is transforming. It's always been that way. However, what constitutes good, soulful, real music, really real music, to me, is honesty and vulnerability. If you listen to a song and it makes you cry - whether the lyrics are relatable or if the sound of the guitar just stings your eyes and brings tears streaming down your cheeks, that is a song that will have a place in your life/mind/heart forever. You and that band/musician have connected through the sound-waves. And that is one of the most beautiful things in this life that won't change.

The amazing thing about music, is it will never leave you alone or feeling worse off than before. It's the only thing in this life that won't lie to you. It is the only thing I can completely understand, be vulnerable with, lose myself in, criticize, come home to every night, relate with and will always be my therapy. One of those songs for me is Bob Dylan's "It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry" from his Highway 61 Revisited album.

Live music - is a whole other breed. My appreciation and love for live music has grown immensely over the past four years of photographing concerts. Performing live is the most important thing to being a truly amazing and timeless musician. It is so easy to lose an audience. That's where personality ties into this whole spiel. When a musician with true and genuine skill and passion gets on stage, you can feel it. It drips from their pores and you can taste it. The air in that venue hangs heavy with soul. Without personality, you might as well prop up a blank billboard and plug in a stereo system on stage and leave the audience to make up their own mind as to who you are as a musician.

Without personality, you're leaving an audience with a mind half-nourished. Which leads them to conclude who you are, which is the ultimate suicide for any artist. Never do you want to leave anything up to the audience. What fun would that be? Audiences crave entertainment - so entertain them or be forever washed away in the bright lights and ticket sales.

--Alicia von der Lieth