Ottman, L.J. (1997). A Discussion on the Group, Soundgarden. S. Hamilton, MA: Center for Youth Studies.

Why would someone choose to listen to a alternative rock group like Soundgarden, with music described as "guitar driven with experimental touches" and with lyrics about "despair, lust, and confusion?" Soundgarden "plays slow, bluesy heavy-metal dirges rooted in the hard rock of 70s bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, which seems to come from a heart so overloaded with pain that it has become numb." Why is this music so attractive to young people?

The answers to these questions may be found in our society and in the lifestyles of many young people today. Alternative rock is described as "the sound of homes breaking and has become an emotional sound track, speaking directly to unresolved issues of abandonment and unfairness." With divorce rates as high as "70% in the highly populated West Coast regions and 50% of first marriages in the 1990s ending in divorce," many young people are hearing the sounds of their own homes breaking and reeling in abandonment and injustice. Chris Cornell, vocalist and guitarist for Soundgarden, knows about divorce. Chris was fourteen when his parents divorced; he quit high school in order to become a cook and help his mother pay the bills. Chris is also Soundgarden’s primary lyricist. While the songs deal with Chris’s inner struggles, other young people can easily relate to them.

The problem is that most of Chris’s lyrics, described as "apocalyptic and gloomy, snapshots of a world going to hell and a psyche under siege," vent anger but do not offer hope for healing and wholeness. The images he sings about are jaded by unresolved fear, anger, and pain. They cannot be trusted as truth. Soundgarden, through song, offer a skewed reality. While this is of little or no importance to the composers, youth workers need to be aware of Soundgarden’s misshaped messages in order to help young people untangle the truth.

Soundgarden is a relatively moderate rock group, but some of their images (such as "It’s like a Phillips head into my brain or holy water’s rusting me") may be violent or offensive. In 1995, U.S. Senator Bob Dole accused the music, movie, television, and advertising industries of "poisoning" young people with "destructive messages of casual violence and even more casual sex." Senator Dole is quoted as saying, "We must hold Hollywood and the entire entertainment industry accountable for putting profit ahead of decency." According to a April 1995 Time poll, seventy-seven percent of respondents were concerned about "violence" in the media; seventy percent noted concern about "media representations of sex." Youth workers need to be aware of young people’s media exposure to violence and sex. Senator Dole did not advocate government regulation of media, but he beseeched Americans to shame media companies into more responsible self-regulation. To complement these efforts, youth leaders need to educate youth and their families how to make wise decisions about media exposure.

CONCLUSION

How can youth leaders accept kids’ musical preferences and use some of their own music to help them become more aware of the selections they choose? How can youth workers discover why kids listen to certain types of music? By inviting young people to examine alternative rock groups like Soundgarden, can youth leaders help them to see the positive and negative aspects of this type of music?

Without guidance, youth are vulnerable to violent and sexual influences of music, television, and movies. Youth leaders and counselors can provide kids tools to protect themselves from the media’s onslaught of mixed messages and half truths. By listening to young people talk about their favorite music or shows and by asking them nonjudgmental questions about a particular selection, youth leaders can make appropriate choices for teaching kids to be more aware of what they see and hear. With careful investigation and planning, secular media can facilitate meaningful dialogue about how to use it intelligently.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. How do you think that kids are affected by music and media?
2. How much does music influence young people’s lives? How much does music television affect them?
3. What are the positive effects of secular music? What are the negative effects?
4. Do you believe that it is acceptable to use secular music as a way to communicate with kids about the choices they make in music? Why or why not?
5. Do you believe using secular music is an effective way to talk to young people about choices in music?
6. Can you accept young people who freely and assertively listen to secular music, even after you discuss with them the potential dangers?