CEDRIC NOEL

The Aquinian (St. Thomas University)

FREDERICTON (CUP) — Remember those teen movies where the guy with the guitar — and the less-than-mediocre voice — sits on the stairs with a flock of girls surrounding him? Or that bad-ass, rebel girl who plays bass guitar and all the guys secretly (or not-so-secretly) have a crush on her?

I sure do. And now, almost three years out of my pimple-filled high school days, I still wonder: what makes musicians so attractive?

Most people don’t usually enjoy the spotlight. Maybe it’s the pressure, maybe it’s the responsibility, or maybe it’s the actual spotlight itself.

But there’s something intriguing about a person who has the guts to rock out and mesmerize their audience.

Max Leblanc is the singer-songwriter for Fredericton band She Roars!. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed guitarist said he can understand the phenomenon, but musicians aren’t necessarily more attractive.

“Attractive is one word I guess,” he said, “but if you can think of it in a couple ways — there’s hot and [then there’s] sexy. Basically the musician gets sexier, and when I think about that, I think about girls from various bands. They look sexier than girls who don’t play.”

Chris McIntosh is the bass player for She Roars!. McIntosh, who frequently rocks the ponytail and toque combo, said it has more to do with musicians as public figures.

“When you perform, you are the centre of attention,” McIntosh said. “People like to think they have some sort of association with people that they respect, people they look up to.”

In more ways than one, I agree with McIntosh. The same phenomenon can be applied to athletes or other celebrities, whether they’re in high school, university or beyond.

Most people seem to want to be associated with famous people, but I think music adds something more to the mix.

Musicians have the confidence to express themselves in front of a crowd. They pull out their diary and tell us their most candid experiences through song.

Why do we find that attractive or sexy? I’m not entirely sure.

It could be their confidence or the connection we make with their emotions. Love, loss, hate and sadness — all things we can feel too, bringing us closer to the musician.

Bridget Yard, a third-year St. Thomas University student, said another reason we’re attracted to musicians is because of their ability to fit in with the crowd one minute and then be a rock star the next.

“There’s that whole notion that they’re playing to you, or the lyrics of the song are being sung to you,” she said. “Of course, that’s almost never how it really is, but the thought is pretty exhilarating.”

Whether you strongly relate to a song or you’re just trying to figure out what it means, there’s a definite mystery and mystique around music and the people who make it — and everyone is intrigued by a good mystery.

In any case, music has the power to make us feel alive. Whether we’re rocking out, dancing in a club, or lying down on our beds taking in some smooth tunes, music speaks to us.

So it only makes sense that we we’re attracted to the people who create it.

Right?

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Photo: Cara Smith/The Aquinian