In this quotation it is seen that Janis was not the typical female singer at the time in that she was not beautiful nor did she try to make herself something she was not. As a teenage growing up Joplin was the ugly duckling who was not popular and she did not fit into the rest of the teenage cliques. As Janis started to become popular in the music industry she made it OK for all the teenagers out in the public that were just like her, the ones who did not fit in and who were not the most beautiful. The most important point about Janis Joplin was that she created, song, and acted the way that she wanted to with no outside influence. The music that she created was on her terms. .
Through Joplin's attitude with her lyrics and her stage performances she created a sexualuality with music that was not present before her time. During this time in the 60's kids were looking for someone who they could relate to and feel what they were feeling. Joplin had a serious addiction to alcohol and heroin, which caused her ultimate death, and part of the hippie generation was the experimention of drugs and sexuality. Joplin was a perfect spokesman for the time period. Women especially were looking for a woman that they could look up to and feel like she was just like them. Joplin conveyed peace and harmony and at a live performance anyone could see the freedom while she performed. "The new rock was more than music. Listening alone couldn't convey the whole experience- all the senses were involved. If the audience sought to have all its senses aroused at a concert, then Janis, as a trance enhancer, brought total commitment to her music. Hers was not a music born merely of the vocal cords anyway, but an ensemble piece within her physical presence alone"(cite this). This quotation explains that Joplin's soul and energy was conveyed to her audience and the only way to get that response is to be completely honest with herself, her music, and the passion she had for music as an expressive force.
