How do we listen to music?

What is it about music that makes us get engulfed in it? Is it the lyrics, the beat of the drums, the sound of the guitar or bass? There are many aspects of music that so many people like. Whether they listen to them individually or together, it is all different for different listeners. I myself have listened to music in many different ways. I have done all of those that I have listed previously. I like to analyze what it is I’m listening to.  I feel that even with breaking down the music that it gives me more of an understanding of the work as a whole. It is not the lyrics that make music what it is. Yes, it has a big importance to it, but without the rest it may be hard to tell the emotions in the lyrics. It would be like a poetry reading. The other aspects give character. The can express all emotions with a simple strum of the strings, an extra pause in the striking of the bass, or the raising of the tempo of the keyboard. There is so much more that I wouldn’t be able to identify. Even if I did with what I know, I’m sure there is much more that I don’t know.         

 I wouldn’t say that analyzing music distracts from the music but enhances it. Well that is how I feel. With some people it may distract. I only say this because multitasking isn’t always people’s strong points. You have to still be able to keep everything in perspective when you do analyze the different aspects of the music. As I write this I am coming to realization that I don’t even truly analyze the music. I actually just appreciate the qualities of each element that is present within the music itself. When you listen to music, do you listen to it as a whole? Can you ever just keep things into perspective? As I look back, I can’t recall me ever being able to keep things that way. I couldn't help but focus out of some the music to be able to enjoy specific aspects.

            The only thing that I could decide would help support my statements would be my music book that I used for my music class. When taking that class, for our tests we would have to listen to a piece and pick out specific sounds and strategies the composer had used to construct their musical masterpiece. Even when I didn’t enjoy the music itself, I was able to appreciate the song afterwards because I was able to tell how much thought and dedication was put into their work. So I guess I wouldn’t say that it is the book but more of my teacher getting us to be able to appreciate old music, which helped me appreciate music of the now century.

So the point that I am trying to get across is that analyzing isn’t a distraction so long as you know how to understand and keep things into perspective. What the meaning of why they done the way they are. I personally think that analyzing music is much more enlightening, since it opens the music more up to the listener.

people and their music

As I looked at all 30 songs that I have on my computer, and around maybe 50 CD’s that are left from my mom’s, dad’s, along with the rest of my family that lives here; I have come to the conclusion that I couldn’t come with a genre that I prefer. If you were to look at my 80 GB Ipod with I think about 7000 songs you would still not be able to define which music I prefer. Actually come to think of it, you might think I really like techno. Now let me explain real quickly. The music I have and always have has been gathered from many friends and relatives. I normally and quite frequently give my friends my Ipod and tell them to put all their music onto it and make their music a playlist. I do this to keep an open mind and to get more of an insight to the people I associate to. So the reason to why I say you might think I really like techno is because one of my friends had about 1700 songs of techno on his computer. So unfortunately when I listen to my Ipod, approximately every 6 songs is a techno song. I don’t mind that much because I do like it, it is just that there is so much of it on there. So I guess I could say that as I accumulate friends I accumulate music. The music I listen to has only changed from my toddler years to now only due to the expansion of my world. I only listened to the music that my brother had for a really long time till I started getting music from friends, which was around middle school.

               In my reading of the book “Music and Culture” by Anna Tomasino, I am finding that I am annoyed by music. It is pretty funny for why this is so. I am not annoyed by the music itself but by the content that I am reading about music. I like music, there is no doubt about that, I am just tired or hearing all of this harping about how music couldn’t be understood about unless you are “the gifted listener,” or about how the “Right wing control freaks” are keeping us down. Some ridiculous rant like that. Look, I am doing it myself. I just could not connect with the first chapter. Melissa Etheridge had my attention until she had said herself that she had done many things, including her music, to just get attention. Because of my upbringing and hearing that quite often, I just couldn’t tolerate that statement, it changed my perspective completely. I can respect talent and doing something you love, but to take it that kind of place, just bewilders me. Using music to express yourself is a good thing, not using music to get attention at any cost. Unfortunately I can’t completely back my previous statements because there are many songs that I like that take music to this place I speak of. so I find myself caught in a vicious circle of criticism. I say this because I get it from anybody due to the fact I don’t choose a side so I am in this grey area when it comes to music. Now out of the different types of entries in chapter one I feel like the personal essay by Quindlen was the most appealing. That one shows completely the feeling of how music affects the person. That is there to move you physically and emotionally. That was by far my favorite one. The rest seemed too formal, and/or seemed like they were there to talk about something other than music. I don’t know how to fully explain what I mean. Toure’s article just seemed like a book report. It was too dull.

something old

yeah...

I wanna write a poem
but I can't think of any words
So I guess you have to read this
Believe me its total rubbish

I guess my brain is not working today
It must gone to sleep
and a stuck in some kind of dream
and it doesn't wanna write a poem

My hands have to do all the work
they have no help from the brain
I think they are doing pretty well
and hope they always shall

That dreadful dream has ended
my brain is free at last
But it doesn't wanna do its job
cause it knows this poem is going to turn into a blob

The brain is acting a bit clever
he doesn't want to get involved in something he hasn't command
And he knows not to waste his time
but I don't Know why I am wasting mine

Well I might as well just waste another 10 seconds
and tell you something that's true
believe me I am not lying to you
cause you just wasted your time too

Music & Culture

What is the role of music has played on my life? That is an interesting question. To tell you the truth it really hasn’t. Yeah I enjoy it, who wouldn’t? It’s something out of the norm. I could see how it would greatly affect some people’s life. I mainly use it so I don’t feel alone I guess. I listen to it while I’m driving in my car or as I’m at work, mainly while I’m in my car though. I’m not one for plain silences. To me it just makes things seem extremely awkward, even when I’m with myself. I say this because when you’re in plain silence don’t you just feel as if things are at a standstill? Everyone is just sitting around doing absolutely nothing. I don’t like it so that’s why I have something going on. So that’s where music comes along sometimes.

Music itself hasn’t really been a major influence in my life though. The only time it has influenced me is by hearing it I was so stoked on how it sounded I wanted to know how amazing it would sound in concert…… actually it has played a little bit in my life. I am apparently a little too friendly with the opposite sex and I have had some interesting song dedicated to me, some nice and some not so nice. Even that being the case it hasn’t done anything to me except a good laugh or smile. The not so nice ones may have made me look back a bit to understand why, but the thing is it didn’t make a difference to me. Yes, it had happened but there was nothing I could have really done.

As for my community and the world, that is a different story. Music has extremely been the outlet for many people. Music has become main stream, to where it’s the most important thing for many people. I just don’t have that kind of connection as these people do. I simply enjoy my life without the assistance of other people’s talent. Yes, music is a great thing to have around. That much is true, but to have it run, control, or make it an extreme importance of life, just seems to be too much. When I hear these stories about how music has saved my life and what not, I feel sympathy for these people. It is unfortunate that people get into this kind of state to where Music is the only thing that is good in their life, but it really shouldn’t be that way. It’s not that music is bad but people should have to live like that to where music I that important to them.

There is something I’m supposed to talk about but the thing is I don’t know how I am supposed to talk about it. How am I even supposed to discuss the theme of music? On top of that, how it may possibly alter my appreciation of music. The theme of music is not something I feel I could pinpoint. There are many different themes put there. There is love songs, hate songs, Emo songs, random sounds, rap which is all derogatory. The list would continue to go on. I’ve listened to a wide variety of songs and I’ve looked up lyrics, and it has yet truly changed my perspective, appreciation, and understanding of it; I just appreciate that it is there to make the silence go away. It is as simple as that.

Title

So I had to create a Blog. I don't fully understand a Blog and to tell you the truth i don't really care. I've have read some and it just seems to be an opinion or someones outlook into something they find of interest, or a discussion of something they feel is a need for all to know.
When I had created this Blogger thing I felt it pretty interesting to put this title to help further explain or enlighten me why Blogs are so popular. I guess people just enjoy getting comments or others opinion maybe. Whenever I feel the need for that I simply ask someone who is around me or that I personally know.
You can say that I may be a little close minded or not up to outside opinions, criticism, and so forth, but I simply don't find a need for it. As I'm writing this is or rather typing this. I feel as if I'm writing in a journal or diary for all to know. To me that kind of defies the purpose of those type of implements. Maybe through this though I will have a different opinion on the matter.