When we first hear a song something happens – we judge it. We either like it or we don’t like it. It is weighed on its merits (in our minds) and given a passing or failing grade. If you’re ambivalent about it, then it has failed.
Obviously, we collect music that appeals to us, it makes us feel something or maybe it just reminds us of a time in our life where things were easier or better. We are most open to music in our formative teen years. Whatever it is that’s playing on the radio is (usually) the best music of our lives.
Okay, so we hear a song we’ve heard before. Again, we judge it – “Do I like this song or not?”. If not, we change the station or press the button for the next piece of music. If we listen, we add that song to our soul like a small patch of skin that eventually melts in with the rest. It is the cumulative nature of music and each song affects how we receive the next song. It’s like tasting cinnamon before a sip of wine – it flavors what we will taste.
We have spent a lifetime listening to music and letting it absorb into us. Over the years we have honed to a fine point what we will and will not tolerate in music. We have our own opinions that others may or may not share. We give voice to music.
The older I get the worse music seems to get. Is that the general idea? The stuff I listened to when I was growing up my parents didn’t appreciate until they were older. Let me give you an example:
I remember when the song “New Kid In Town” by The Eagles came out. It was a new song that was played almost constantly on the radio. I tried to have them listen to ‘my music’ in the car and that song came on. As you may know, this particular song is not controversial in any way. It’s got a medium tempo and good harmonies. No profane lyrics and no high-pitched squealing guitars… nothing off-putting.
My parents would hear nothing of it. If it wasn’t sung by Bing Crosby or Perry Como, they didn’t want to hear it (a bit of hyperbole on my part, but just go with it). They dismissed it as garbage. It’s fair to say that my parents were never really huge music fans.
Okay, so fast forward a decade or two and the song is now considered “classic rock” (ouch). They put on some Adult Contemporary station and the song comes on. Now they have no problem listening to it – it now seems acceptable to them. The cumulative nature of music has affected them. They let every other song adjust the way they felt about this particular song.
Yes, it could have been that they weren’t even listening to the song but the fact that they didn’t reject it outright is a sign that something has occurred. I’m using this song as an example but it could be any song by Neil Diamond, The Little River Band, Journey… any of those bands that we listened to when we were younger that are now considered ‘adult’ music.
We have moved on as well. We listen to what’s currently playing on the radio. We cannot forever live in the 80’s and listen to what was popular when we were in high school. We can’t stagnate. We have to keep up or we’ll have nothing to talk to our children about.
I judge what I’m hearing on the radio and, for the most part, I don’t like what I’m hearing. I think rap music has infected the industry too much. There are too many artists making music for the wrong reasons. They want the fame, the lifestyle and the money. They don’t want to make good music.
If I haven’t said it before, I’ll say it now: we don’t need music to live. All we need is food, shelter and clothing. But music, like poetry and art, are needed to feed the soul. We want music. We want to believe in the power of music. A good song, well timed, can change your day, your week, or your whole year. Some say it can change your life – I’m not sure about that.
Let a good song wash over you. Let it feed you, let it flavor you, let it change you.
Obviously, we collect music that appeals to us, it makes us feel something or maybe it just reminds us of a time in our life where things were easier or better. We are most open to music in our formative teen years. Whatever it is that’s playing on the radio is (usually) the best music of our lives.
Okay, so we hear a song we’ve heard before. Again, we judge it – “Do I like this song or not?”. If not, we change the station or press the button for the next piece of music. If we listen, we add that song to our soul like a small patch of skin that eventually melts in with the rest. It is the cumulative nature of music and each song affects how we receive the next song. It’s like tasting cinnamon before a sip of wine – it flavors what we will taste.
We have spent a lifetime listening to music and letting it absorb into us. Over the years we have honed to a fine point what we will and will not tolerate in music. We have our own opinions that others may or may not share. We give voice to music.
The older I get the worse music seems to get. Is that the general idea? The stuff I listened to when I was growing up my parents didn’t appreciate until they were older. Let me give you an example:
I remember when the song “New Kid In Town” by The Eagles came out. It was a new song that was played almost constantly on the radio. I tried to have them listen to ‘my music’ in the car and that song came on. As you may know, this particular song is not controversial in any way. It’s got a medium tempo and good harmonies. No profane lyrics and no high-pitched squealing guitars… nothing off-putting.
My parents would hear nothing of it. If it wasn’t sung by Bing Crosby or Perry Como, they didn’t want to hear it (a bit of hyperbole on my part, but just go with it). They dismissed it as garbage. It’s fair to say that my parents were never really huge music fans.
Okay, so fast forward a decade or two and the song is now considered “classic rock” (ouch). They put on some Adult Contemporary station and the song comes on. Now they have no problem listening to it – it now seems acceptable to them. The cumulative nature of music has affected them. They let every other song adjust the way they felt about this particular song.
Yes, it could have been that they weren’t even listening to the song but the fact that they didn’t reject it outright is a sign that something has occurred. I’m using this song as an example but it could be any song by Neil Diamond, The Little River Band, Journey… any of those bands that we listened to when we were younger that are now considered ‘adult’ music.
We have moved on as well. We listen to what’s currently playing on the radio. We cannot forever live in the 80’s and listen to what was popular when we were in high school. We can’t stagnate. We have to keep up or we’ll have nothing to talk to our children about.
I judge what I’m hearing on the radio and, for the most part, I don’t like what I’m hearing. I think rap music has infected the industry too much. There are too many artists making music for the wrong reasons. They want the fame, the lifestyle and the money. They don’t want to make good music.
If I haven’t said it before, I’ll say it now: we don’t need music to live. All we need is food, shelter and clothing. But music, like poetry and art, are needed to feed the soul. We want music. We want to believe in the power of music. A good song, well timed, can change your day, your week, or your whole year. Some say it can change your life – I’m not sure about that.
Let a good song wash over you. Let it feed you, let it flavor you, let it change you.