Some people claim that each generation can be defined by its music. From the jazz of the roaring twenties to the bebop of the ‘40’s , you could argue that the claim is true. But as in many things, our Baby Boomer generation isn’t so easily defined.
A recent advertisement for the Appalachian Summer Festival concert “Janis Ian and Karla Bonoff: Songs of a Generation” sparked my thoughts about our generation and music. Although I certainly remember songs like “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian, I would also consider music by Journey and The Who as part of my own music mosaic. In fact, if I was compiling a soundtrack to define myself, it would include music from Neil Diamond to Nelly, The Monkees to Maroon 5.
We’re a complex generation, one that has refused to allow age to define us, so why would music be any different? Do you agree? What would be in your Boomer music mosaic?
Good news for all of us Boomers out there with musical aspirations; American Idol’s 30 year-old age limit can’t keep you from rockin’, and up-and-coming Bay area band Blame Sally is proving it. A great article at Second Act introduced me to a group of rocker women who are proving that Baby Boomers can rock without the need of a rocking chair.
Blame Sally, comprised of Pam Delgado, Renee Harcourt, Monica Pasqual and Jeri Jones, has been playing small gigs in the San Fransisco Bay area for about 10 years, but recently, they’ve broken through the fog of new artists to become one of the most talked-about bands in southern Califorina. Now, normally, this would be a feat in itself, but consider this: every member of Blame Sally is over 40 years old in a music industry dominated by youth. Baffling critics and fans alike, the band has rocketed from their dayjobs into making money their way: playing great music and entertaining people who like to listen to it.
The members of the band aren’t mixing words when it comes to their age, either. In fact, they believe it gives them a unique kind of advantage. Percuissionist Pam Delgado described how she feels about the benefits of being an older group:
I think that age brings a nice resolve and inner peace! It makes us more accepting as people. We don’t have a lot of ego around our work–this is a very democratic band. At the core, we have this level of trust. You heard Renee’s vocals sounding great, but I can promise you that if they weren’t, we’d be able to say that to each other.
We can all take a page out of Blame Sally’s book, no matter what field we excel in; whether that means belting out our pitch for a new product in a board room, or tickling the keys of our computers while composing that quarterly report.
You can read more about Blame Sally in this article on SecondAct, on their site: www.blamesally.com, or download their newest album, “Night of100 Stars” on iTunes.
{ The following is an article taken from The Baby Boomer News Magazine }
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Some people claim that each generation can be defined by its music. From the jazz of the roaring twenties to the bebop of the ‘40’s , you could argue that the claim is true. But as in many things, our Baby Boomer generation isn’t so easily defined.
