To have a better understanding of the country music culture, I decided to interview a young person that has been heavily influenced by this culture, and is in every sense of the word, an insider of the country music culture. To ensure his privacy, he will be referred to as “Insider”.
Juliana: How long have you been influenced by country music?
Insider: 21 years, ever since I was born.
Juliana: How do you participate in country music?
Insider: Well, I’ve been listening to it since I was born, I play a little country music, I love dancing to it, even the way I dress has been heavily influenced by country music.
Juliana: How would you define country music?
Insider: Song that sums it up better than I can. “This is Country Music” by Brad Paisley. It tells it like it is, supports the troops, the good ol’ values, respect for women, fun-loving, and having a good time. Country music is where you can talk about things people don’t usually talk about, like religion, God, and country. There are great country songs about somebody’s truck, or a tailgate party, or their cheating mate. There are no guidelines to what you can or can’t express.
Juliana: You mentioned “great country songs.” How would you define an authentic, great country artist and the songs he would sing?
Insider: You don’t have to dress a certain way, it’s an every-day style. T-shirt, blue jeans, button up shirt, the way you look does not matter. What matters more than anything is the lyrics and the music behind the lyrics, which have to be played in an upbeat and fun way but serious at the same time. Music and lyrics are one. There is no concept of “back-up”, you can’t separate them off. They are perfect complements to each other, and if the song is truly great, you will be thinking about the words of the song through the guitar or fiddle solo. The most important thing is the attitude behind country music. It gives you the ability to really say the way you feel in your heart, but sometimes you don’t know how to express it if it’s not in a song.
Juliana: What is the range of influence of country music?
Insider: Counrty music is everywhere, all over the world. It started in the Southern part of the US and migrated around during the Civil War, and as people were exposed to it, they made it their own. Media has spread it more than just live performances
Juliana: Does race, ethnicity, gender, region, or religion play a role in who participates in this music-culture?
Insider: Well, typically white Christian people are the main participants, but there’s room for anyone that wants to join the party.
Juliana: Does this music-culture welcome others?
Insider: Yes and no. Yes, if you’re willing to conform to the music genre. People conform to country music; country music does not conform to people. Country style and the genre has not changed all that much since I’ve been listening to it. However, if you go to a honkytonk like Billy Bob’s, you will feel more than welcome every time, no matter what you look like or how you dress. People will assume you’re there because you love country music, and that makes you family.
Juliana: How important is dancing to country music?
Insider: Dancing is at the heart of country music. You can dance to every single country song out there, whether it is a line dancing, two-step, or slow dancing. Even if you’re in the car listening to country music you start moving to the beat. The thing about country music is that it moves you. It motivates you to dance because it touches you deep inside, and you can’t help but feel just like the singer. And that makes you want to dance.
