Society Loses Its Soul

When I train aspiring journalists, I usually try to use models that they can relate to. That’s why I talk about what I call the “Seinfeld School of Writing.” The point is that writers should vary their sentence lengths so they don’t write in a monotone. When Seinfeld tells a joke, he uses a long introduction followed by a punch line, a stacco sentence for emphasis. It’s an effective writing tool.

My students grasp that concept because they all love Seinfeld; they grew up watching his television show. But they seem lost when I start talking about the “Otis Redding School of Writing.” The theory is simple: songs are usually based on one main theme and include a series of verses, mini stories, if you will, that relate to that main theme. But the other night none of the students in my training seminar had even heard of the great soul master. Not one. I had to use Dave Matthews to explain that reporters can learn from studying the structure of songs.

I’m not stuck in the past. I like the New Pornographers, the Decemberists, Art Brut, the Eels and a lot of other young acts. But I think it’s a tragedy that many young folks have never heard of one of the greatest musicians America has ever produced. DJs, high school music teachers and parents are failing us.

Almost all of my students know and love the music of Journey. I understand that a person’s taste in music is personal, but I still can’t help but think that our society is losing its soul.