Editor’s Note: I’m too lazy to be an editor and this entry is all over the place. Please feel free to skip it.
I don’t understand how people can function throughout the day without constant music. When I was younger, I was composing songs in my head constantly, but knew no instrument well enough to transcribe them, so mostly I just sung them (try singing multiple instruments at once, it’s not easy). As it is, I tend to have multiple songs playing in my head constantly, which is a truly interesting experience – not at all as distracting as one might imagine it to be.
My immediate family is music-crazy, which is funny because not one of us has ever really mastered an instrument. My older siblings and my father constantly played records in the house, or listened to cds upstairs on stereos (before every single person in my house had a computer). My older siblings attempted to teach me and my younger sister guitar before we were old enough to even hold it without help. And I used to give singing concerts in the neighborhood when I was little, but refused to join chorus in elementary school because I hated the music teacher (it was a mutual hatred – his niece cut my hair once at school and I told on her, and then his nephew was always harassing me and I’m sure I told him off) and afterwards refused mostly out of embarassment. I played clarinet awfully for three years – but instead of practicing, I went out and played football. I played guitar for 4 years, and was the only girl in guitar ensemble in high school but I hardly practiced guitar either, outside of the 15 or 20 minutes it would take me to figure out a song. I did practice singing hours a day in high school, but that was strictly for private enjoyment and to annoy the rest of my family.
Anyway, none of this is really the point. I am primarily a spectator regarding music. I used to go to a couple concerts a month and have always been drawn to people who create and perform music, in terms of friendships. Once upon a time I stayed up to date on new cds and stuff, but lately I’ve mostly been trying to listen to older stuff and obscure stuff I never really got into. Before illegal downloading, it was nearly impossible to find some of the crap I’ve been trying to get a hold of.
I know a lot of people who will listen to a cd once and shudder and never play it again. I don’t roll like that. I’ll listen to a cd I don’t particularly care for repeatedly, because I can sense it will grow on me. And it always does.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s some cds I would never listen to multiple times like that, for example Billy Joel. I just don’t like him. Or Britney Spears. It’s just not my scene and I know that no amount of listening will ever place them among my favorites, although both artists have notably raised my urge to kill. But there are very few artists out there I wouldn’t give a couple listens to.
Generally, what ends up happening for me is the artists or songs I had to give a couple listens to enjoy are the ones who stick around with me. I made fun of Michael extensively for listening to Robyn Hitchcock but admitted if I gave it a couple private listens, I’d probably sincerely enjoy it. and I do. Rock on, Mr. Hitchcock, you crazy git.
And so I made a mix cd with him and some John Mayer (continuum [for the curious], but most songs don’t hold up past a few listens) and Ben Folds and I play it at work constantly because I can’t stand not having music at work. and whenever anyone is around during a Robyn Hitchcock song they say, “what ARE you listening to?” and I laugh and say his name and usually try to explain something about what his music sounds like, but most people aren’t that interested, which is their perogative.
Because I’m a music geek, even if I am just a spectator.
K.
The contents of this blog entry may not reflect the views of Webmaster of Doom, Michael.
Post a Comment