Musical tastes

[bparry]

disclaimer : sorry, if this becomes a little convoluted, i'm not really a writer so i'll just write stuff as a stream of my thoughts, sorry if it makes it hard to understand


I was just listening to some music and it got me thinking about how my attempts at personal development have influenced my taste in music. A while ago my musical tastes were pretty much hip-hop and techno, with some mainstream pop thrown in for good measure (please dont judge me for my past mistakes), there was nothing really about it that appealled to me but i wouldnt listen to anything else really, and I guess peer influences just drove me in that direction. Thankfully I have mostly been cured of this as I've come more towards my true self.

Now, I can't enjoy that music at all, theres nothing substantial in it and i found myself aligning more towards classical music, songs where you just know the singer really feels what they are saying (i don't know if that counts as a category but it should be, it would make finding good music a lot easier), and I've even found myself becoming more and more attracted to jazz, a category of music that not too long ago would have sent me storming off if someone made me listen to it. I guess the only thing the music I like now has in common is that there is an honesty that really comes through - the performers truly do what they feel and what they love, and I feel connected to the music no matter the style or the sounds. This is a strange concept for me as I believe things that make me emotional unnecessarily are unhealthy, it swings me out of balance and why should i give any power to an outside source to do that to me? Nevertheless, some songs that I would consider emotional actually make me feel truer to myself, they somehow bring me back to my center and i don't really understand why or how, hopefully its not some trick of the ego to keep it's sense of identity.

I guess this has made me wonder, how has your growth shaped your musical tastes? Did you find yourself more or less attracted to certain categories of music?

Another question that this has brought up is do you think there is actually any such thing as true musical taste? Is it possible to prefer a certain type of music or is it that we can only connect to music via the composer's expression of their connection to their inner truth? I've found it harder an harder to classify music that I like, but I've definitely found it easier to identify almost instantly songs i can connect with and songs I can't, so i guess I lean mor towards the latter.

What do you guys and gals think? and more importantly, what music do you connect to the most?

(Sorry if this is to serious for this section of the forum, I wasnt sure where it should be posted)

[shasah]

I haven't been here long enough for it to change my musical inclinations and I kind of doubt that it will. I listen to different groups depending on my mood although they are all from alternative to hard rock. It's kind of funny because I'm 45 years old. Wish me luck finding someone my age that likes the same kind of music

[invisiblehouses]

As I've worked to let go of the negativity that held me back for so many years, I've begun to see some changes in my musical tastes.

It's not even so much about substance or meaning, but whether the people involved are radiating joy or darkness.

I started out with metal back in middle school, then graduated to punk rock and other underground music, and a lot of this stuff is just so dark and depressing. I mean, I still love Black Flag, and you can't say there's a lack of substance to their music, but so much of it seems to be about wallowing in a really dark place. Songs like "Depression" and "Damaged" have an incredible amount of power, but they're just pure blackness, and I think those guys meant it. It's not something I like to relate to anymore.

I find myself listening to things that are either silly (Ramones, Vaselines), witty pop genius (Belle and Sebastian) or gentle, meandering music that just sort of rolls along and takes its time getting where it's going (Grateful Dead). I guess these are things I'd like to be, too...a silly, witty pop genius who gets where he's going in his own time. But who still gets there. Or ends up somewhere else entirely. Because that's cool, too.

[allen080105]

Yeah, the music I listen to now is definitely a lot lighter. I used to listen to a lot of rap music, not realizing that that particular kind of rap was bringing me down. Also I find I'm a lot more open to different kinds of music.

Originally Posted by bparry

Is it possible to prefer a certain type of music or is it that we can only connect to music via the composer's expression of their connection to their inner truth?

I've developed a taste in certain music both of those ways. I don't think it has to be an either/or.

[Rockchick26]

I've been into personal development for about 3 years, and I havent noticed any difference in the genre of music I like, I still prefer rock over anything else, but I have a better appreciation for artists who write lyrics that resonate with me. When the lyrics are about anything philosophical or metaphysical or positive in any way, that makes me like the band better as a whole, but I still prefer the music to be loud, melodic, and guitar-driven. If anything, personal development has made me MORE into music because it's about the only thing in life that brings me 100% joy and i believe listening to music is therapeutic, and it doesnt matter what type of music it is, as long as you love it.