LETTER: Don’t forget Elliot Smith

Editor,

This past week the music community lost one of the most gifted and genuinely talented artists of our day. His name was Elliott Smith. To try to do him justice would be futile. Suffice it to say he was extraordinary. In a day when the most popular musicians are far more devoted to making money than they are to their fans or their quality of music, Elliot Smith stood out as a beacon of humility and dedication to his art. He was known for getting people into his shows who had been unable to obtain a ticket. I was fortunate enough to see him play for free in Salt Lake recently. You might want to ask yourself when was the last time that J. Lo or Justin Timberlake played for free. The emptiness of most of today’s music stands in stark contrast to the music of Smith, which had depth and meaning that a feeling listener couldn’t help but to be captured by. It amazes me how many of us have been duped by all the corporate music juggernauts into believing the music we see on MTV has any merit or is worth listening to. Current television programs make a mockery of the musical art form. Smith shunned the corporate music scene. He wasn’t driven by greed or ego. He was driven by a pure and simple love of music. We as students have more power than most to shape the face of popular music. We need to support artists, like Smith, who play from the heart and have a devotion to making quality music, a devotion which transcends other concerns like money making and notoriety.

Matthew Hughes