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Cool Non-Grammy Music

"For some of us, the world of what we listen to extends Britney Spears, Jay Z, or N*Sync."

Listen to this Commentary!

By Erika Solomon

When I was younger, the Grammy's were everything to me. At the age of eight, they were the epitome of everything that would be cool about being a teenager. Knowing all the latest music and artists, being into the fashion. I was really drawn to the show and the idea that one day the jumble of dance acts and flashy outfits and faces would mean something to me. That day never came.

Today, I really don't know what day the Grammys will even be on. And don't even bother asking me who will be there, I'm clueless. But if you think I'm some kind of geeky, outcast of a teenager, you're wrong. That's just the picture the media paints of teenagers and their lifestyles and values — that we're all into the same things, from movies to music. I asked a bunch of kids at my school who was going to be on the Grammys.

Teen1: I have no clue. Will Smith?
Teen 2: Michael Jackson?
Teen 3: Name anybody? I don't know.
Teen 4: The Grammys are music, right?

Down here in the "real world" of teenagers, you might be surprised at how diverse our world actually is. For some of us, the world of what we listen to extends Britney Spears, Jay Z, or N*Sync, and our values go beyond the pages of the fashion tips in Teen People. And for the teens like my friend Rachel and me, we crave the fact that not everyone is into our favorite bands, like Ozma.

Rachel: You're really close to everything, they're not like big stars, they're like real people, you can talk to them, you can be friends with them.

Rachel is into indie music and she got me into it as well. We listen to music that ranges from hardcore punk rock to emo, a more sensitive and emotional style of punk. But most of this music is pretty underground... unknown in the mainstream world. And that's part of its appeal. The artists and fans want to preserve the artist's personal touch to the music.

Rachel: You know people who like dream of meeting the Backstreet Boys? Well, I can actually talk to the bands that I like. My favorite band Ozma — I got to talk to the guy while they were setting up they're equipment. "

For Rachel, indie is about more than just music... it also reflects her political beliefs and her style, what she calls the "thrift store look." Music is just one part of her overall identity.

The same is true for my friends Trevor and Tim, but in a completely different way. They're into J-pop and trance music, heavily favored by the Asian cyber world culture they're a part of.

They spend an awful lot of time in PC rooms where you can rent computers by the hour, competing in tournaments of Counterstrike, a popular computer game.

Trevor: J-pop is Japanese music. It's in Japanese. It's just pop music, but in Japanese.

Tim: Trance is just something you just get into as you listen to it. It's really interesting because they keep adding on beats. If you listen to it really closely, you just kinda zone out.

Tim and Trevor don't follow the Grammys either. Neither their music nor Rachel's or mine will make it on the Grammys. And we don't want that anyway. We like to have our own world, our own lifestyle, our own music and not be part of a big group.

Tim: Explore the music. Go out and just don't just be narrow-minded on music and just listen to what's popular on the radio, and what your friends listen to. Don't let that influence you. Just listen to what you like. If you feel like it, just stick with it.

But sometimes, it's inevitable that your music is going to get picked up by the rest of the world. I can bet that in a matter of months Rachel's favorite group, Ozma, will be on MTV, and then probably the Grammys by next year. And to be honest, that makes me sad. They'll become just like everyone else. And it'll be just that much harder for teens to hold on to their individuality as well.

For Youth Radio, I'm Erika Solomon.

16-year-old Erika Solomon is a student at Glendale High School in Los Angeles. She comes to us from Youth Radio, an award-winning media training program.