Monday, October 1, 2012
What is it about music?
The other day I was driving down the road, listening to music as I always do in the car. Every time a commercial started, I hit another one of my "preset" music buttons in the search of something that sang rather than spoke. It dawned on me, how entirely different my preset stations were. As I flipped from the backwoods country stylings of Jason Aldean, to the gangster rap "I'm going to make love to you," stylings of Lil' Wayne. I started thinking more about this class and the things we discuss in here and I began to wonder if music is indeed an expression of ourselves, how is it that so many of us can flip between country and rap, or two other entirely different genres of music? What is it that makes us appeal to two entirely different kinds of music?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
I think it's just emotions, one time you feel one way the next day you feel completely different. I'm not going to listens to the same song before I go play a football game, and the same song before I go to church.
I think it is in our human nature to like choices/variety. They say too much of a good thing is bad and I think that this idea applies to music too. No matter how much I like a certain type of music, if it is the only genre I ever listen to, I am going to get sick of it. Also, I think that because everyone nowadays listens to so much music, we want new or different songs then what we've been listening to for the past month or whatever. It just makes sense to me that we like a variety of music; I feel like it is no different than liking different kinds of foods, sports, hairstyles, etc.
It's probably the same reason we enjoy multiple hobbies or eat different foods. I don't think we are emotionally confined to enjoy one genre of music just like I don't believe we should only play sports or just play the guitar. Some of us like to read, go running, play video games, etc. If our emotions only allowed us to enjoy one genre of music, life would be boring.
I think the music that appeals to you reflects what you think its relevant or what you think is relevant to you. We want to listen to music that expresses our emotions, which are ever changing. It makes sense that we want a variety of music because we have a variety of emotions.
I think it entirely depends on what kind of mood you are in. If I am stressed, I listen to one type of music because others only increase that stress. I think it expresses emotions and allows us to release emotional as we sing in the car or in our room. The genre or song can be what appeals to us and what we enjoy.
Dan Johns...
I think it is largely those who we choose to allow to influence us. I liked classic rock as a kid, then rap in middle school and high school when my friends began to influence my taste more. And eventually, sometime in high school, a girlfriend persuaded me to listen to country with her, which I also came to enjoy. I enjoy all three styles of music (and others) to this day.
I'm the same way. I can be listening to hip on one minute and change to rock on the next. I believe it depends on the feelings each song brings up. When a hip hop songs comes on all i think about is being at the club and dancing. When a country song comes on i can think about past relationships and/or the message.
However it completely depends on my mood. Music is a great way for me to release stress and being able to channel negative energy.
I think everyone has pretty much hit it on the head.
"music touches us emotionally where words can't."
there actually some cool websites similar to pandora, but instead of clicking on the artist or genre of music, you click on an emotion and it plays music that is catered to that emotion: hyped, tired, sleepy, studying, energetic, happy, excited, in love, etc.
i listen to music to enhance the mood i'm already feeling. period.
Certain music with certain lyrics can have specific effects on a person so the different types of music appeals to people at different points in their life, day, mood, etc.
It usually depends on my mood at that current time. I find myself having "themed" days of music. If I'm feeling happy or sad, my song choices can differ drastically. The activities I'm doing can also change the music genres that I pick. Even seasons can have an influence on music choices, such as summer time is perfect for country.
Post a Comment