Hi reader,

You can call me Curtis, if you’d like. I feel over the moon to personally welcome you to my blog, Glass Penthouse! For a while now, I have felt an overwhelming sense of urgency to start something that can offer me structure and purpose in these testing times. After recently completing a bachelor’s degree in music, along with a minor in psychology, I feel like I am entering a new chapter of my life. This new landscape has stirred up feelings of A. freedom along with accountability, and B. potential yet doubt. Because of this, I feel provoked to find a solution to this dilemma, which can only be resolved through my own actions. A writing platform such as this offers me an opportunity to take charge and express my views and interests as I exit the protective bubble of education. Though my articles may not appear in letter form like this post, I truly intend for my writings to reach anyone and impart some sort of value to whomever might stumble upon them. And so I present to you Glass Penthouse, my personal viewpoint on the world through the open and far-reaching lens of music. 

Glass Penthouse is meant to share the most promising parts of today’s culture. Let me dive into what that means to me a little bit. Since the progression of arts and other humanities will never desist or lose relevance, an arts enthusiast’s most effective use of time should focus around attention to art that is positively affecting and advancing its present state. I believe that persistently highlighting imperfections and, albeit unwittingly, putting down art can often lead down a path towards the wrong side of history. This is not to say that criticism isn’t an essential resource for the arts, but rather that a focus on artistic potential and growth can be more useful. See, one of my ambitions for this blog is to challenge the depth of the reader’s artistic appreciation, specifically within music, and to do that I must try to further enrich the musical knowledge that you, the reader possess. One of my key interests for Glass Penthouse encompasses the duality of ‘pop music’ and ‘art music’. In the world of music, these are two umbrella terms that divide the medium into two planes of thought and purpose. The first label centres around music that is designed to appeal to a wider audience. The second grouping categorizes music that challenges the commonalities of what is found in its current time. There is plenty of overlap between these two worlds, and there are benefits as well as pitfalls to be found in each domain. I believe that a musical composition is capable of displaying attributes of both art and pop, and in doing so creates a formidable piece of music. But, this is not to say that these musical works are successful in overcoming the stigmas of their defined labels. There are many requirements for creating a stimulating musical experience, but one thing that must first be assured is that the music is heard!

Maybe I should explain why I find the popular scene to be such a great influence for my blog writings. The reason that the pop industry feels notably important to me is reinforced by its extensive accessibility to the public. Due to its highly exposed platform, along with its intent to pick out the most well-received attributes from past music, pop music sets the stage to dazzle an audience. In comparison, what is labelled as art music – we can get into that term later – does not always prioritize the listener above the composition. The conscience behind this music is more concerned with expanding the range of what can be expected from new music. Usually, this nontraditional focus is met at the cost of a diminished fanbase. As I previously mentioned, there is cultural value for either discipline, and I would say even more to gain from music that meets expectations of both art and pop. Let’s say a piece of experimental music is released, with support equal to that of a popstar. This would include multiple features on influential playlists, extensive advertisement and press coverage. Even without an overwhelmingly positive reception from the audience, this art would have a better chance of influencing and inspiring more diverse ways of thinking for musicians and listeners alike.

For example, despite his longstanding recognition in the arts community, Jacob Collier was met with even greater notoriety after featuring popular artists like Ty Dolla $ign or Tori Kelly; even featuring him as a musical guest on the late night shows of Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert. This is exactly the type of effect that I want to highlight in my blog, as mass media begins to embrace even more creative and artistic entities. To illustrate this, picture a small circle and a larger circle, concentric to what is most culturally relevant in music. Since the inner circle gravitates more to what is currently trending, we can label this as pop music. In that case, the outer circle would represent art music as it is more likely to break away from cultural norms. Now, if popular music’s diameter were to grow, then the diameter of art music would likely grow too, as a response to pop music’s transformation. Consequently, the reach of art music would almost become contingent on how far pop music can spread itself. In general, I believe that if pop were to explore more left field attributes, that art music as a result would have a stronger foundation to expand. With this in mind, popular music is surely a valuable resource because of its influence, and its ability to constantly reinvent itself to reflect the times; something that experimental artists might be inclined to see value in. For these many traits, the popular music industry is a pivotal point of interest for me. Still, my aim for this blog is to highlight the popular, the artistic, and everything in between for what each is worth. 

Similar to this mindset, I intend on featuring music that outwardly affects our society in my future posts. Music is uniquely capable of connecting two streams of thought that might otherwise remain disconnected. In music therapy, it has been proven that music can alter and repurpose synaptic membranes in the brain; a process known as neuroplasticity. Additionally, I find that music often speaks effectively to many issues from a place of proactive intent. ‘I Can’t Breathe’, released in June by H.E.R. is one song of many that speaks on police brutality and the demand for racial equality after the brutal killing of George Floyd. When it comes to social discussions like these, there are many entry points to be found through the setting of music. Especially in the zeitgeist of popular music, often, one cannot help having a reaction to the content. So, if one song can touch on a significant topic in a powerful way, whether through lyrics or undertone, then it can extensively further the discussion. I have chosen the lens of music as a focal point because I believe that it is a universal understanding; which I will expand on in my upcoming article on music aesthetics. It can be used to explore moments from the past, current events, and of course the progression of arts culture. For these reasons, I’d like to free myself of any categorical limitations in my articles. For the sake of labelling, Glass Penthouse is a music blog, but I would like to connect it to the real world whenever possible.

This blog has many objectives that branch from increasing musical knowledge and appreciation to questioning the expectations that we place on today’s releases. Ambitious, eh? But wait, there’s more! I will be sharing new articles with you every week, in relation to the progressing state of music, critical analysis of musical works and musicians, or detailed accounts of important past music. I will also be reaching out to members in the music community for their perspectives, as well as curating playlists to pair with my favourite articles. But beyond this, my most hopeful intention is to reprioritize music as an artform above all else. To achieve this, one of my efforts will be directed towards helping the reader find worth in music of every style, purpose and feeling. I recognize that not all of the music I cover will suit your preference, nor mine, but it would feel ignorant of me to belittle any song, genre or musician that might appeal more with someone else. I believe that older music is also a valuable resource in perceiving today’s music, and so I plan to acknowledge any notable influences in new music wherever I can find it. Talking about the current state of music comes with important considerations, and by that I mean many issues that should be addressed carefully. Although my directive is to remain detached from my sociopolitical biases, I should not ignore problematic issues that may surround the art. With this in mind, my focus towards music appreciation will hopefully result in content that is conscious and forward thinking. To accomplish this, I will take every precaution to respect music of traditional and/or cultural importance, while simultaneously offering a platform where it can shine. By expressing awareness for all these considerations, I hope to inform the reader on all domains of music and appreciate them accordingly.

Lastly, I would like to thank you for reading this far, and once again welcome you to my blog! I hope that this letter interests you enough to follow any of my future endeavours on this website. This project is as much a compulsion as it is an experiment, and so my aim is to write articles that will engage you, the reader. Throughout this blog, I will work hard to improve my approach to articles, to challenge the way I understand the music world, and to offer original, thought-provoking insights. For any thoughts in this letter that you’d like to know more about, stay tuned! I hope to cover them all in greater depth very soon.

Hope to see you again,
Curtis Savage