Note: the following post is in response to a question I have been asked numerous times regarding how I came to appreciate music by numerous different artists that a lot of people seem to know little or nothing about. It's also a stab at writing that will be submitted to an online publication in the hopes of my joining their staff of online writers. Here goes nothin'...
You need something different in your playlists, let's face it - they need updated. The solution would seem obvious. Seek new music. Seek different music. The worst thing is often sticking a label on it - unless that label is simply music. Don't be bashful about stepping outside your notions of musical genre, not if you want to broaden your horizons for musical enjoyment. All that matters is whether or not you like it. It doesn't matter if anyone else does. In the event that anyone in your life doesn't like the music you listen to, well we certainly live in a time that allows us to keep our music to ourselves. Don't let anyone stop you from finding more music, different music to appreciate - if that's what you're out to do!
In seeking different music, one often needs to allow something new to grow on them. This can take time, or it can happen fast. Does something really have to grab you instantly? You have to be willing, you have to be open. Consider the music that's new to you to be like a new neighbor. It's entirely possible that you'll want nothing to do with him...or her, but then again, you may end up being great friends. Keep yourself open to possibility.
Songs can be like the air that surrounds you. There are times when a cool breeze is welcome relief on a hot Summer day, and there are times when the heat from the sun is completely soothing. There are times on a cold Winter day, when taking in a deep breath makes you feel like the air is never more clean and refreshing than on a day like that. It's feelings like these that can make songs equally soothing in the right moments, and they'll have their moments of you not wanting them around. Allow them this luxury and think of a particular piece of music in the same way you think of a particular type of food. You don't have to want to eat it every day. Maybe it's something you eat once every few weeks, and when you do, it's wonderful. In that very moment, it's exactly what you want. You can do this with food...or music, because both are objects that don't possess feelings that can be hurt. Either can be ignored for periods of time and when you come back to them, they're just as good as the last time.
If you allow yourself to be in the moment, you stand a very good chance of expanding your musical horizons and getting much more enjoyment out of your music listening experience. The music you listen to becomes the soundtrack of your life, and that is a marvelous feeling to have. You've got to be willing to go down a side road or two. Keep going, and don't worry so much about there not being signs or familiar landmarks. Be open to finding something new - even if it's something you once had preconceived notions about not liking. Never mind that your spouse, friends or family won't like it. For the time being, it's all about you. It's your ears that are doing the seeking. Let 'em go.
Fortunately there are some avenues in this day and age that make finding new music easy. Things like Pandora and Spotify are great for finding new music. Finding. They're not so great for the artists though, because they don't put much money in their pockets, therefore it's hard to advocate either for anything other than resourcing what you might want to add to your collection. How big or how small your music collection is, is up to you - but art that means enough to someone that they will pay for it is a wonderful thing. Ask any artist.
One thing is certain: There is a lot of good music out there. Pick any genre if you really feel like you have to, but there are loads of artists out there who craft enjoyable music that you just might like as well as the music that you're familiar with. But you have to allow yourself the possibility. To close off your mind and ears to possibility, is to stay right where you are with the same old playlist - aka the mix tape of the new millennium. If you want to expand, you've got to be open to possibilities and think beyond your current status. Sign up for Pandora, create a station named after an artist you like to listen to, and then listen to the other artists that will pop up on your station. Don't worry about who they are immediately - unless of course you like what you're hearing enough to actually want to buy the music. If you're not sure if you like it, maybe you're just on the way to liking it. It would be nice if people would like something enough to want to pay for it - because while services like Pandora and Spotify are great for finding different music and building awareness, they're making it tough on the artists who produce this kind of art.
So venture off on a side road, bask in the feeling of not having to be anywhere but where you decide you want to go. If you get lost, consider the fact that maybe that's okay, because unlike any other time you've been lost, this time, maybe you'll find a place that is exactly the right place for you to be in that moment, and in that moment maybe you've found exactly what you've been looking for. Ready, set....go. Surrender yourself, your ears, to the unfamiliar - and you just might find that it's all good.
No comments:
Post a Comment