Music: (myoo-zik): an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color
A co-worker of mine once said that the first thing he considers when thinking of asking a girl out is based on the music in her iPod … True story… Can you classify a person based on their music preference? Music is such a powerful tool. It can be used to construct but also deconstruct which calls for careful use. Music consumes our lives. What does our music say about us? I would have to argue that the kind of music a person listens to says a lot about them. Because music is such a huge part of our lives it can’t help but classify who we may be. The term “Emo” was a term used for a type of music; now it is also a term used for the person who listens to that music - if you’re Emo, you listen to Emo and vise versa. This just goes to show that music can directly influence who you are. Music can be a reflection of who we are just as the clothes we wear and the things we buy. It is another outlet to show who we are, and how we represent ourselves.
One of my favorite activities while on road trips is to take a boys iPod and play all the embarrassing “chick” songs he has on there. You’d be surprised how many guys say the Jessica Simpson CD is only on there because their sister needed it… Really? So here’s my question, what does your music say about you? Would you agree that a person’s music choice shows character? Are we creating our identity via the music we listen to? If someone new were in your car, what song on your playlist are you going to skip out of embarrassment?
38 comments:
Okay, I will admit I have a large list of embarrassing music on my ipod play lists. Like Backstreet boys and Britney Spears. But what do you expect from a guy that grew up with four sister(three being older)? I think our closest friends and family members have a huge influence on the music we listen to. I don't think my friends and myself have identical play lists, but they sure don't listen to the music I would deem "weird." I most defintely listen to the same genres of music as my closest friends.
I agree that music can say a lot about a person. However, I don't think that you can measure a full analysis of personality based on an ipod playlist. Everyone has little personality quirks that make them like a song that is completely outside their normal listening genre.
Also, what about the people (like myself) who rarely listen to music? What can be assumed about me due to the fact that I don't own an ipod? What classification are there for people who don't use music as self expression?
I have "embarrassing" music on my ipod but I am not embarrassed of it, because at the time I acquired it, I wanted it and I liked it. I am not saying that I necessarily would rush out and buy the same songs I listened to in eighth grade if given the chance, but just like Rob Gordon in High Fidelity, my music is autobiographical.
I don't think someone could really pin me down just by examining the music on my iPod. I mostly just listen to Podcasts, but when I do listen to music, there isn't one or even five genres that I stick to.
I guess, then, someone could understand something about me by the contents of my iPod: that I go from Beethoven to Bush, from Glenn Miller to Gwen Stefani, from Mo Tab to Madonna, from Tchaikovsky to Tears for Fears...
Limiting yourself to one genre is like limiting yourself to only one type of food (even if it's your favorite).
Oh, and I don't think anyone should be embarrassed about the music they listen to.
-Michael Williams
For me, I don't really try to associate who I am with the music I listen to. I don't want to be stereotyped. I want to be able to listen to music without having to dress or act a certain way.
That is not to say I don't feel strongly about the music I like. I care about music, and it is a large part in my life. But to be shaped and molded by the music you listen to is upseting to me.
I think that there are some things you can learn about a person based on their choice in music, but not enough to base a full evaluation about that person's life.
As far as embarrassing music. I have plenty of music that I skip when I'm with friends. I listen to a lot of movie soundtrack music (no lyric songs, just music). Most people I know don't do that so I get embarrassed when those songs come up on my Ipod and I'm with friends.
I write for the BYU newspaper and we are starting to stop students and ask them about their ipods. I think its so cool to see who listens to what, and I must say I am not embarassed by anything on my pod. I am totally down with Britney's Give Me More, I don't care what anyone says.
I think that you can get a glimpse of a person's character based on the kind of music that they listen to but not enough to fully describe this person's character. And yes, there is music that I skip on my i-pod when a stranger is listening to my collection but it's not out of embarrassment.
I say that the music on my iPod could really give a stranger a good picture of the person that I am. I have a very wide variety of types of music on my iPod. It ranges from 90's pop, emo, indie rock, country, and classical.
What this really says about me is that I'm pretty eclectic and random. I can be happy in just about every situation (and also I have a strong belief that there is a song for ever situation in life).
I don't think I would be embarrassed if a stranger were to look through my iPod but there are some songs that I won't listen to around specific friends. But since I have such a wide variety of music, there is something for everyone to love.
My ipod reflects my moods, not my personality. I have really upbeat songs- some pop, some country, some rap, some alternative- that I use for running; I have more morose songs for when it's just been one of those days. I have girl rock and I have the 90s pop Backstreet Boys. I have Taking Back Sunday and Metallica. I have Bob Marley and Josh Groban. I'm not sure that my ipod reflects who I am. I have electic music takes and have songs from every genre.
I agree that a person's music can say a lot about them. I do have some embarrassing stuff, all of which is late 1990s music like Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. It's there for nostalgia reasons. I actually LIKED that stuff when I was 12 or 13, and now it just takes me back down memory lane, and I laugh at it. Kind of like how I still watch Saved By The Bell. It just takes me back.
I think the type of music I listen to says that I'm into lots of different things. I had friends from different groups throughout high school that I'd hand out with. I like learning and exploring stuff, and can't be stereotyped into one particular group, because really, I'm just all over the place.
Different types of music without a doubt are linked to different types of people. Music, however is music, even if you don't fit the standard frame of a Emo, Rock and Roll, Country music lister, you still can enjoy the music. I have lots of songs I wouldn't play for my friends, but that I do enjoy.
I think music does partly reflect your personality, but I think the stuff that really does the job is the type of music you figured out for yourself when you are grown up and mature enough to develop your own taste rather than the "embarrassing and cheesy" music that we listened to just because it was in trend or under other people's influence (like Brett's four sisters for example ^_^)when we were young.
I really honestly listen to anything and everything. I tend to go through phases or circuits of different types of music. Right now I'm neck deep in country. Last summer I was into a major underground scene. Alternative rock is always welcome. And I have been known to blast "wannabe" from Spice Girls in my car regardless of the company. Music is music, depending on who's in the car with me, I might skip a song or two...Music is really tied to memories for me so if I don't want to think about something I'm likely to skip that song, it doesn't much have to do with the company I'm keeping but rather the train of thought I might be avoiding.
I think different musical movements have been so associated with certain subcultures for so long that we create subcultures to go with them now. Some people buy into the idea of subculture more than others, some just listen to the music and could care less about the lifestyle or attitude that goes with it.
I don't think I would skip anything in my collection out of embarrassment, though I might leave out some of the less accessible music that I have.
I like music that does something special. It might be the lyrics are very poetic (like Ani DiFranco) or it might be the music is complex and interesting by itelf (Like Sonic Youth).
I love the Glide Guitar and Shoegazing of Mogwai, My Bloody Valentine and a little Built to Spill here and there.
Music can say a lot about a person, but I don't agree that it defines who we as people are. While you can generalize some things about a person based on what music is on their ipod, songs people listen to are also influenced by outside factors: family, friends, and experiences. While I listen to songs that reflect who I am there are also songs I listen to that say nothing about me but are there for weird of funny reasons.
in one of my graphic design classes, as a get ato know you activity, we all went around and said our names, where we're from, and our favorite song. Just based on the way that people answered this question I thought that I was able to tell so much about the person, and without really thinking about what I was doing, I had already decided who in the class I wanted to become friends with based on the kind of music they listen to. I think that music definitely represent personality, especially for people who are passionate about it. My brother started liking his current girlfriend based on her music choices, and I have heard about a ton of people who think this same way.
It is so true that music shows your character. I think that it's possible to look at a person based on their clothing and appearance and guess what kind of music they like. I think that it would work eighty percent of the time. I'm not that embarrassed to have someone see some of the music that I have on my iPod. If someone doesn't like the ballads of Leona Lewis then that it their problem. Music is a huge part of my life and I don't know what I would do without it.
I remember going through this "emo" phase during high school. The music that was classified as "emo" then was a little different than the "emo" stuff now, but it certainly created an identity for my friends and I. Back then it was all about Dashboard Confessional and the like, vintage t-shirts, and Converse Chuck Taylor shoes. Frankly, I probably never would have listened to this kind of music on my own or embodied the "emo" idea if my friends hadn't. But when sophomore year rolled around, we all suddenly morphed into some version of this "emo" thing, some more watered down than others. It sounds totally ridiculous now, but I recall one of my friends telling another friend that so and so "should not be wearing those Chuck Taylor shoes because she doesn't even listen to emo music. You have to earn your Chucks." It sounds absolutely ridiculous now, but in high school, music was kind of the determining factor for which group you fit into. A few years have passed, and I've figured out who I am a little more. I listen to pretty much every genre of music now, and I don't think my fashion choices are dictated by my musical taste anymore. But I will always remember how important music was in shaping identity in high school.
the last portion of this post is genius. i can't tell you how true that is. going along with this, i feel that a person may have anything from country to screamo, but claim a certain genre to be their favorite and for the most part this is the type of music they model their lifestyles after.
I think the fact that we get embarrassed by certain music we have proves that many of us more or less believe that music defines us. I would agree that for myself, I believe my music defines me to a degree. Not all my music is a reflection of me, but the when you put the whole together, it gives you a good idea what type of person I am.
Wow, that is harsh. I guess its kind of pathetic to admit that all my music I have gotten from other people, except for two CDs. The music was thier preference that grew on me when I would hang out with them constantly and hear thier favorite songs every time I got in thier cars. You see, I usually hate certain songs when I first hear them, but when a memory becomes involved with a particular song, I find it becoming a favorite of mine. So I believe that I am the product of all of my closest friend's music combined. Because of that, I have no songs to be embarrassed of, its the culture of who I am and the types of friends I associate with.
Yes, music does have something to say about your character. I used to listen to a lot of music, but as I get older I find myself further and further away from "pop" music. I do think there is a danger in judging people by their music. Considering the low state of the music industry, most of us would rather not be judged by what we listen to. That being said, I do believe there is music that will always be classical -- perhaps that's why they call it "classical." I still wonder whether or not Mozart was seen as a rebel in his day. At least the movie "Amadeus" would have us think so.
I dont really care that much about the kind of music people i am going to date listen to. I am MR radio guy, if its "sold out" then i usually like it. I am not embarrassed of the music on my ipod, i took voice lessons and i picked NSYNC to sing so i could care less what other thought, cause in my mind there are 2 kinds of people: those who love NSYNC and those that wont admit that they love NSYNC, we all do.
I agree that the music people listen to tells a lot about who they are. I love pretty much every type of music, and am not embarrassed about anything that I have on my ipod. Music is a huge part of my life, and I do not know what I would do without it. I cannot study or do the dishes without it! I think it is such a great form of media, as long as we do not let it consume our lives.
Music represents personality. Without too much effort we could all go around and pick a person in our lives and think of their favorite band or song. We know our families and friends favorite music. We identify with others because of their music choices. Music is a huge part of our culture.
Check out this article! http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/classical-to-rap-music-lovers-have-much-more-in-common-than-you-would-think-919553.html
It says that yes, music reflects your personality. However, I was kind of shocked with the claims- they say that heavy metal fans are gentle, pop fans are uncreative, and rap fans are outgoing...
I do think that music can define who we are. However, it was much more influential as a determining factor of who we hung out with or what we looked like to others when we were younger. It probably is pretty suprising to find certain music on ipods like girly hits on a macho guys ipod but generally I think we fall away from that categorizing as we get older. It is interesting to not though that when older people listen to music it can categorize them into what generation they grew up in and what music they grew up with can actually age them in a sense.
Sure I have music on my iPod that might be considered "embarassing", but I choose not to get embarassed. Something is only embarassing if you choose to be embarassed about it. I could never even try to narrow down the music I like to say just one thing about me. As of late I've been obsessed with the Elizabethtown Soundtrack which features Tom Petty, Elton John and Lindsey Buckingham among many others. However, on other days I might spend all day listening to M.I.A. I don't think it's reasonable to base who I am on what I like to listen to.
It's easy to define a person by the music he or she listens to, but it's a highly inaccurate definition, left to the whims and evolution of pop culture. A person's music can help describe a person, but it is not the person. This is, at least, my feeling because I like most kinds of music. If I had to choose a favorite kind, what I say today might change tomorrow. I refuse to believe that people can dislike all kinds of music except hip hop or rock or emo or whatever other kind of music they cling to, if they're fully aware of what it is they're rejecting. People are more than just the music they listen to.
my music definitely says a lot about me and my personality. while i enjoy the mainstream, top 40 hits, i also listen to a lot of oldies and not-so-mainstream music. i like oldies because i feel it's what "real" music is, and i like the other stuff because it's always so unique. if someone were in my car, i would definitely skip all my showtunes. nobody else seems to appreciate them as much as i do.
Okay friends... I just wrote probably the longest response ever... and it got deleted... not so happy.
So, due to that and other rather large annoyances for the day, on my zune (the windows' version of the ipod, which rocks) I search for Vanna's song "The Alarm", a song that isn't part of my usual listening genre, but a song that i often listen to when i'm annoyed. I think that most would refer to this as rather hardcore rock. The majority of the words are screamed and the drummers use of the double bass pedal... amazing... Most of them have long shaggy hair, tatoos that sleeve their arms, and ear piercings or gaugings that make anyone want to puke a bit in their mouth... yeah gaugings are nasty.
Does that mean that I too am a screaming hardcore dude? I would think not. I am just your average mormon boy... who is actually in a blue grass band. While most of the music on my playlists are majorly punk or rock, scattered with some hip-hop, and... yes even the carpenters and chicago, I think that the type of music can be a fun way to see how we are different, but not a huge indicator on the person.
So, what if I don't listen to music as much as others? What if I like silence in my car more often than music? Would that mean I was born one generation too late? I like music. I probably listen to more chill, jack Johnson, music when I am by myself. It is funny though, because when I am with others, my mood is very different. I play what I think people want to hear. So if you were to appraise me for my music, you would like me, because I play what you want to hear. The method of music to personality projection is only a peice of my personality pie.
I think that a person's choice of music is a representation of who they are, but not in the way of personality. My mother-in-law has a theory that the music we choose to listen to is representative of the rhythm that we either naturally have in life, or we want to have at certain moments of our lives. I listen to Bob Marley and Jack Johnson because I feel that my rhythm is a little more laid back and chill, but when I'm in the gym, something upbeat and fast represents the rhythm I want at that moment in life.
I think we all have our "guilty pleasures" when it comes to music, maybe a radiohead fan would be embarassed to have everyone know that he secretly likes that Evernessence song "my immortal" (as is my case) and a guy into hard-core hip hop would be ashamed of his affinity for Garth Brooks. At any rate there is an exception to every rule when it comes to classifying people by there music. That being said I think i could be classified as someone who likes old-school punk, brit-pop, metal, alternative (especially from the UK), and of course classic rock. I'd classify myself as a bit of an eccentric, because my musical tastes are... therefore i am.
I listen to a little bit of everything. Am I guilty of listening to girl music? Heck ya, why not, girls listen to "boy music!"
Yeah it says TONS about you!! So a Heavy metal head banger playlist versus a classical Beethoven dominated playlist- will plant the picture of two very different looking people in your mind. My playlist is varied- but if a stranger listened to it- they could tell I love sport- I like to party- I am a romantic - I love local music and yes.. I am sometimes a boy band fan... Don't think I would get that date with the guy if he listened too my playlist- I think he may just be confused!
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