Music that means something

On this past weekend's season premiere of "Saturday Night Live," Paul Simon performed "The Boxer," a song that speaks on an individual's determination to survive in New York. I thought it was quite appropriate to have this 1960s folk singer open the season's premiere, especially during this time of uncertainty.\nWith the passing of program's like the "Midnight Special" and "American Bandstand," SNL's musical performance serves as the only remaining weekly musical showcase on television, aside from cable. But what message does his performance send to other singers and songwriters out there today? Is there some sort of trend developing? Will the tides of the music industry turn?\nWhat I'm getting at is this, a personal observation -- no, I think it's an observation shared by many. Within the past five years, the music industry has been dominated by the overwhelming redundancy of teen-pop groups, with their mundane over-exalted love tunes and prefabricated personas. I don't feel the need to go into detail expressing my angst and overall annoyance with these "artists'" lack of originality and artistic creditability. And perhaps, what's lacking in their music is no fault of their own. Maybe they haven't had anything to write about. Let's face it -- they haven't.\nThe post-Clinton era left the country in its strongest condition. Up until three weeks ago, the largest concerns this country had faced this year were the threat of a weakened economy and concern over the phenomena of "dimpled chads."\nLet me assure you, those petty worries are over.\nNow, our country faces its biggest challenges in recent history. The unprecedented events of Sept. 11, 2001 have placed the country in a state of uncertainty -- leaving many dealing with the loss of family and friends. \nBut, it is also a time of great unity. A revitalization of the nationalism seen only in the 1940s following the attack on Pearl Harbor. My hope is that this new sense of nationalism does not spark more negative "isms" -- namely cynicism and skepticism of people of Muslim or Arab ethnicity. But I digress.\nAs President Bush orders the call to arms of thousands of reserve troops, I too am requesting a call to arms -- rather, a call to guitars or pianos. We need the new Lennons, Dylans, and Simons to emerge and lift music to a new level. So much like the reactionary music of the 1960s, the music of tomorrow could also carry the same weight, deliver a stronger message and react to "What's Going On?"\nAnd what better way is there to record these strong emotions of the times than through song? And who would be better to do this than the great songwriters of the past? Sure, their songs would be good, but can we always turn to our favorite song-slingers like Simon or Dylan?\nNo, these mighty warriors of talent have paid their dues. It's up to the newcomers to stand on their shoulders and create something great. \nUnlike the state of unrest that was so prevalent both domestically and overseas in Vietnam during the late 1960s, the current state of the nation is united on so many levels. Partisan politics ceases to exist, large news stories like the Condit-Levy fiasco, the home-run race, and others now dawn on the inside pages. And here we sit -- waiting.\nSo while we're waiting, why not give us something to listen to that has real meaning? We've read all the magazines, watched all the TV screens, we need more than something to simply tap our feet to.