Don't Lose Who You Are

            This week in class we were supposed to focus on country female artists. However, with class being cancelled on Monday, we had a shortened amount of time to have discussions. On Wednesday we had some time to briefly discuss Dolly Parton. There was a theme that Professor Santos mentioned when it comes to country artists singing about their home or their roots, and it is something I'd like to touch on as I believe it is an important aspect of their success. I personally love country music, so I can assure you that almost every single country artist has a song that talks about their “roots.” To me, it is an aspect that I have always loved about the genre.

            Thinking about some strong female Country artists such as Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and Dolly Parton, they all have songs about where they came from. Carrie Underwood has a song titled “Don’t Forget to Remember Me,” and it is about her leaving home and moving forward in her life, but still remaining humble and thankful for where she came from and who raised her into being the person she is today. Another example would be Miranda Lambert’s song “The House That Built Me.” I think that it is important for women that are in the music industry to stay humble and be thankful for how their life came to be. It allows them to stay grounded and helps the public to realize that deep down, they are not much different than you and I.

            Another reason why I love the songs about “home” or family is that it allows me to place myself in their shoes. Growing up, I lived in a difficult situation and things were very far from picture perfect. Although some of the songs make me long for what these artists had growing up, it also gives me the opportunity to dream about what my future can look like. It provides hope for the future for when I have a family of my own. I find songs about home to be so beautiful and so easy to listen to. Dolly Parton has always seemed to me, to be a very humble person. She remembers where she came from and doesn’t allow her fame and fortune to erase that part of her life. I think that is a quality the more female artists need to follow, and not just those within the country music industry.