I never used to be a fan of shitty music. It annoyed me to no end -- as a classical musician I always felt an obligation to listen to deep, meaningful music. Not necessarily classical -- but stuff with a message.
However, I think there is a time and place for everything, including music with guys from the hood yelling about selling coke and shooting people. Don't get me wrong -- I still love classical music and generally well-made rock and jazz and hip hop. But when I'm packed into a bus between campuses or eating Jimmy Johns or lifting weights and so on, it's not really the place for a Schumann Piano Quintet or for Tupac to be talking about the struggles of the poor. It's the time for Meek Mill to yell about his 6 or 7 Rolls Royces and for Jay Rock to angrily talk about selling coke to addicts in Watts. Now, I don't exactly get much out of this, as I don't own any Rolls Royces and am not a coke dealer or user -- but maybe that's the point. I don't think music always has to be taken seriously or move you. Sometimes you just need a loud bass and aggressive lyrics to help entertain you through life's more mundane tasks (not that there is anything remotely mundane about eating Jimmy Johns).
This is a really interesting blog post, especially since you do have a considerable knowledge of classical music. It must be weird for you to hear certain songs today and have them be classified as "music" just the same as a Chopin Nocturne or Beethoven Ode. It's cool that you've come to appreciate different styles, however, and I think your point about not always listening to music in a serious way is a key thing to remember. Music is as fun as the person listening to it.
ReplyDeleteSam, this is really interesting, especially coming from you. I have always wondered how really serious "classical" musicians view a lot of today's modern music. I agree with you that there is a time and a place to appreciate high-quality, meaningful music, but also one to just listen to crap that keeps you entertained. I myself pretty much listen to nearly every genre of music, and will choose what I listen to based on the kind of mood that I'm in. Very interesting!
ReplyDeletewerd, there's a time and place for everything. im on that classical music flow when I'm studying but when im working out, i whip out that EDM playlist
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