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Posi music (in American English, pronounced POZ-ee) has been around since the 1940s,[ citation needed ] though only recently has a definitive label been applied to music in this genre. Short for positive music, posi music is categorized by its intention to have a positive effect on the listener. Musicians who write and perform posi music profess a desire for their music to unite and inspire their audience and make them feel better. An example is "Accentuate The Positive" written by Johnny Mercer and made famous by Bing Crosby. The song defined the concept that there is polarity between being positive or being negative, specifically noting there is also no neutral as in "no more Mister In-Between".
This concept has been expanded by groups promoting the education of posi music, such as the Positive Music Association, emPower Music and Arts and the Positive Music Imperative. This concept of Positive Music and Negative music has also been identified in the book called A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle
Early posi music certainly had some roots in traditional folk music, in the genre labeled protest music. While much of protest music would not fit into the simple definition of posi music, a subjective opinion could easily include songs like "We Shall Overcome" by Pete Seeger or "If I Had a Hammer" performed by Peter Paul and Mary.
Deeper roots were nourished by New Thought musicians and posi music finally emerged as a fully defined concept when pioneers of the genre, Karl Anthony, Shanti Norman, Charley Thweatt, and Leroy White created music that was not focused on theology, but instead on more inclusive themes. Unlike gospel and contemporary worship music, posi music's lyrics are less specifically spiritual. By focusing on the human spirit and world community, posi music embraces musicians from any religion. As the genre has evolved, it has been adopted by artists following many different spiritual paths ranging from New Thought, Agapism, Judaism, Christian Science and Catholicism to Buddhism, Pantheism and Seicho-no-Ie.
Increasingly, there are groups of posi music artists who are dedicating most, if not all, of their music specifically to uplifting or motivational topics. As favor for the genre has grown, entire record labels have been dedicated to publication of posi music.[ citation needed ] As always, a selection of mainstream pop music would also fit into the genre of posi music, touching on major themes such as friendship and gratitude. Examples would be the hit songs "You've Got A Friend" by James Taylor, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel, and "Thank You For Being A Friend" by Andrew Gold. Of course, countless others would fit the bill; gratitude songs could once again go all the way back to Bob Hope's "Thanks for the Memory," right up to songs simply entitled "Thank You" by Dido or Natalie Merchant.
Posi music is described as being upbeat and uplifting music. Usually it centers around the lyrics rather than the music itself. Often it is affirmational, though sometimes it is a call directing the listener to make changes to how they live. Posi music can be spiritual, but it is not specifically religious in nature. This is by design, as posi music is meant to be enjoyed by people of all faiths.
Posi music can be used in many settings beyond spiritual communities. Posi music is marketed for use in retreats, workshops, fitness centers, counseling centers, therapy, nursing homes and hospitals. The themes in posi music are ideal for programs such as Arts in Medicine, where music is used to promote healing.
Uses of posi music have expanded to include motivational music for work-outs and companies like Amway have used motivational music to inspire their distributors. In 2008 Barack Obama used posi music in his Yes We Can campaign by enlisting artist support like India.Arie with songs like "There's Hope" and "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas.
The Posi Music Festival for 2018 will be March 28-April 1, 2019 in Tampa, Florida, culminating with emPower Music & Arts' Posi Awards, an award ceremony recognizing artists producing outstanding Posi Music from the previous year. Tickets to hear a collection of artists (Mega Concert) may be available to the public.
May 1 is Global Love Day, a celebration started by The Love Foundation. Posi Music plays a part as many Posi musicians sponsor the event.
November has been declared Posi Music Month by many notable musicians in the genre. Fans are encouraged to "fast" from negative music and go on a "diet" of positive music for the month. [1]
PosiPalooza is a national concert series from emPower Music & Arts. Traveling the country, Posi Award nominated musicians play venues ranging from churches to stadiums.
Bubblegum is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a more specific rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s, that evolved from garage rock, novelty songs, and the Brill Building sound, and which was also defined by its target demographic of preteens and young teenagers. The Archies' 1969 hit "Sugar, Sugar" was a representative example that led to cartoon rock, a short-lived trend of Saturday-morning cartoon series that heavily featured pop rock songs in the bubblegum vein.
Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music, is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and stylistically rooted in Christian music. Originating in the United States, it was formed by those affected by the 1960s Jesus movement revival who began to express themselves in other styles of popular music, beyond the church music of hymns, gospel and Southern gospel music that was prevalent in the church at the time. Initially referred to as Jesus music, today, the term is typically used to refer to pop, but also includes rock, alternative rock, hip hop, metal, contemporary worship, punk, hardcore punk, Latin, electronic dance music, R&B-influenced gospel, and country styles.
Arena rock is a style of rock music that became mainstream in the 1970s. It typically involves radio-friendly rock music that was designed to be played for large audiences.
New-age is a genre of music intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management to bring about a state of ecstasy rather than trance, or to create a peaceful atmosphere in homes or other environments. It is sometimes associated with environmentalism and New Age spirituality; however, most of its artists have nothing to do with "New Age spirituality," and some even reject the term.
Axé is a popular music genre originated in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil in the 1980s, fusing different Afro-Caribbean genres, such as marcha, reggae, and calypso. It also includes influences of Brazilian music such as frevo, forró and carixada. The word Axé comes from the Yoruba term àṣẹ, meaning "soul, light, spirit or good vibrations". Axé is present in the Candomblé religion, as "the imagined spiritual power and energy bestowed upon practitioners by the pantheon of orixás". It also has ties with the Roman Catholic Church and the Lenten season, which represents the roots of Bahian Carnival.
Eckhart Tolle is a German-born spiritual teacher and self-help author. His books include The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment (1997), A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (2005) and the picture book Guardians of Being (2009).
Christian country music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music. Christian country music is a form of Christian music and a subgenre of both Gospel music and Country music.
Jaipongan, also known as Jaipong is a popular traditional dance of Sundanese people from Indonesia. The dance was created by Gugum Gumbira, based on the traditional Sundanese Ketuk Tilu music and pencak silat movements.
Funk carioca, also known as favela funk, in other parts of the world as baile funk and Brazilian funk, or even simply funk, is a Brazilian hip hop-influenced music genre from Rio de Janeiro, taking influences from musical styles such as Miami bass and freestyle.
Texas country music is a subgenre of country music from Texas. Texas country is a style of Western music and is often associated with other distinct neighboring styles, including Red Dirt from Oklahoma, the New Mexico music of New Mexico, and Tejano in Texas, all of which have influenced one another over the years, and are popular throughout Texas, the Midwest, the Southwest, and other parts of the Western United States. Texas Country is known for fusing neotraditional country with the outspoken, care-free views of outlaw country. Texas Country blends these sub-genres with a "common working man" theme and witty undertones, these often combine with a stripped down music sound.
Jeff Johnson is a recording artist, composer and producer who has released numerous solo and collaborative recordings. Born near Portland, Oregon, he currently resides in the San Juan Islands in the state of Washington
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment is a book by Eckhart Tolle. It is a discussion about how people interact with themselves and others. The concept of self-reflection and presence in the moment are presented along with simple exercises for the achievement of its principles. Published in the late 1990s, the book was recommended by Oprah Winfrey and has been translated into 33 languages. As of 2009, it was estimated that three million copies had been sold in North America.
"Faith of the Heart" is a song written by Diane Warren and performed by Rod Stewart, for the soundtrack to the 1998 film, Patch Adams. Stewart's version charted at number 3 on the US Adult Contemporary chart and number 60 on the UK Singles Chart. It was warmly received by critics. The song was later covered in 1999 by Susan Ashton for her album Closer and released as her first single in the country music genre.
Michael Brant DeMaria is an American psychologist, author, and musician.
The Mote and the Beam is a parable of Jesus given in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, verses 1 to 5. The discourse is fairly brief, and begins by warning his followers of the dangers of judging others, stating that they too would be judged by the same standard. The Sermon on the Plain has a similar passage in Luke 6:37–42.
Alexander de Cadenet, also known as Bruiser, is a British artist working in various media: predominantly painting, photography and sculpture. He is most known for his photographic "skull portraits" and also his meteorite and Life Burger sculptures. Set within the tradition of Vanitas, these works are designed as aids to spiritual and philosophical contemplation. He has referred to his art work as "a way to give experience meaning in a tangible form; it is an exploration into the mysteries and sacredness of life and its presentation through art".
Urban/contemporary gospel, also known as urban gospel music, urban gospel pop, or just simply urban gospel, is a modern subgenre of gospel music. Although the style developed gradually, early forms are generally dated to the 1970s, and the genre was well established by the end of the 1980s. The radio format is pitched primarily to African-Americans. Christian hip hop can be considered a subtype of this genre.
Christian R&B is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music consisting of tracks with Christian-based lyrics or by musicians typically known for writing such songs. Music in this genre intends to uplift, entertain, or to give a Christian perspective on a topic. Christian R&B could be considered a subgenre of gospel music, or a cross-genre under both gospel and R&B.
A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for release together as a single work, but may be collected together as a greatest hits album or box set. If the recordings are from several artists, there may be a theme, topic, time period, or genre which links the tracks, or they may have been intended for release as a single work—such as a tribute album. When the tracks are by the same recording artist, the album may be referred to as a retrospective album or an anthology.
Heavy metal lyrics are the words used in songs by heavy metal artists. Given that there are many genres of heavy metal, it is difficult to make generalizations about the lyrics and lyrical themes. In 1989, two metal scholars wrote that heavy metal lyrics concentrate "on dark and depressing subject matter to an extent hitherto unprecedented" in any form of popular music. Jeffrey Arnett states that metal songs are "overwhelmingly dominated" by "ugly and unhappy" themes which express "no hope" for the future.