Response paper on music and censorship

minimum of 350 words response paper about music and censorship to the following essay below. For many years now, popular music has been produced with some aspects to the songs that some may view as indecent and offensive. It has been debated for decades in how to deal with this controversy. Some believe that artists should have the freedom to produce any music they want whether it is offensive or objectionable in order to express their First Amendment rights. On the other hand, many believe that explicit lyrics and inappropriate songs ruin sacred values. Sohaib Bencheikh stated “one must find the borders between freedom of expression and freedom to protect the sacred.” Although this presents a compelling argument, I personally believe that everyone has the right and duty to express themselves in any way desired. It is unfair and unconstitutional for anyone including government officials to put a limit on self- expression. Some people may argue that nowhere in the First Amendment is music mentioned and therefore the rights stated in it are irrelevant. This is a false misconception and court precedence shows that First Amendment freedoms do apply to artistic expression. Thus it makes perfect sense that the government does not censor music that is open to the public. Artists have numerous responsibilities to society and the government cannot infringe on this role. First of all, it is the job of an artist to provide entertainment to its audience. Music should be an escape for the listener from the stresses and duties of our everyday lives no matter what mood one is in. No matter what genre the artists' songs fall into, it is their duty to somehow appeal to the audiences' tastes, moods, and drama in their lives. Also it is important that the artist can somehow relate to certain groups of people. When a person is going through something tragic it can be soothing to listen to music and knowing you aren't alone. Another role of the artist is to keep producing new sounds. The goal of musicians should be to discover the next big thing and be an upcoming trailblazer of new genres. However, it is also important for them to not forget the classics and know where new genres came from and their influences. It is not out with the old and in with the new, but advancement on the old to make the new. This makes sure that music will never die and will never go out of style. Not only do artists have responsibilities to society, but also society has responsibilities to music. First and foremost, it is the audience's job to keep listening even if they do not like what they are hearing. Without a fan base, the music industry will not have enough money to support itself and will ultimately fail. Another role of society is to give feedback. It is important that artists know what their fans like hearing and to keep producing that type of music, therefore the audience must let them know if some shape or form what is appealing to them. Without this feedback the music industry again will fail. The last responsibility of society is to share the music artists produce with peers. Without communication, how would it ever be possible for certain bands to become popular? Networking and talking about the new artists is necessary in order for the continuation of the music industry. It is questionable whether or not the debate to regulate artists' work will ever be solved, but it is an important topic to be discussed. Artists have many responsibilities that they owe to society and vice versa. Without the fulfillment of these duties, the music industry will collapse. This creates an even deeper and larger issue to the world considering the music business generates revenue into society. Therefore, government officials need to keep in mind that no matter what happens with the debate in handling regulation of artists work, it is of the utmost importance that the music industry continues striving to support every country in the world's economy.