Preferences in Music

GGJaguar said:

Too cerebral. It's all in the gut.

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that portion of the gut that is in the brain...

So much to unpack from that article. I do agree that people's music tastes are formed by their early environment as well as how they're exposed to it from adolescence, both through family and peer groups. I also feel that these early experiences greatly influence how people's relationship to it develops, just like with visual and performing arts, literature, etc. Undoubtedly, a lot of people, simply love certain music because it connects them to life experiences.

Those that are taught music more in depth through instrument lessons, family tastes, or a friend's sheer enthusiasm for a song, often take the initiative to explore. Although some may disagree, I believe true listening is a learned experience. I'm not saying that people can't have a gut reaction to music and automatically like it (or not), but a little guidance on how to listen, especially to certain genres, really enhances the experience and nurtures a love for music. I've experienced this personally many times with genres like orchestral music, jazz, loads of rock genres, world music, and other styles.

jp said:

I believe true listening is a learned experience.

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It is. You can learn a lot by picking apart music into it's component parts. However, active listening can sometimes impair the joy of music, by picking it apart too much ("man that high hat sounds like a couple of trash can lids"). And, of course, you have to take into account the technology of the time it was recorded in, and the circumstances to mitigate hyper-criticality.

walrus said:

apparently I'm also a geezer

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I have been assuming geezer is what the "G" stands for in LTG ! That's why I signed up; I just happen to like Guild guitars as well.

Rocky said:

It is. You can learn a lot by picking apart music into it's component parts. However, active listening can sometimes impair the joy of music, by picking it apart too much ("man that high hat sounds like a couple of trash can lids"). And, of course, you have to take into account the technology of the time it was recorded in, and the circumstances to mitigate hyper-criticality.

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I don't think learning about the appeal of some music is just about active listening and technical analysis. I understand what you're saying, though.

What I'm getting at is about learning to listen in a different way or a with a more open mind. This is more akin to how friends turn each other onto new music during their teens and early 20s. This is the development of their relationship to appreciating music I pointed out above. It's obviously a very different experience from being made to dissect a Liszt symphonic poem, a Mingus big band composition, or even an EDM song from a production standpoint.

As an example, in the 80s, my friend who worked at a record store told me to buy the first Pixies EP. I listened to it. Didn't get it. She told me to hang onto it and try again, which I did. After about 10 listens over a few weeks, it finally grabbed me, and I became a huge fan. I experienced the same thing with Guided By Voices, one of my favorite bands. The lo-fi recording didn't bother me; it was simply that I wasn't used to listening to this kind of music. Again, after multiple tries, I finally grasped the appeal. In both cases, it was just advice from friends to give it some time.

Another simple example was that, as a teen, I was obsessed with guitar heroes, and music was all about the guitar playing. I never understood the appeal of Bob Dylan until a friend--a huge Dylan fan--hit me on the noggin' and said, "Listen to the lyrics, dummy!" With an icepack on my head, I replied, "Ahh, I get it now."

I have since had a lot of knocks on the noggin' and there are surely more to come.

After watching enough Rick Beato reactions, I get how knowing more about the craft of music can make you appreciate just how hard something you just heard was or how they just made some thing out of left field work. Rick certainly gets excited about little sections of some song that was eye opening for him. I guess it's like golf. Until you've tried to play it, you just don't know just how hard that shot the player made was.

JohnW63 said:

... I get how knowing more about the craft of music can make you appreciate just how hard something you just heard was or how they just made some thing out of left field work... I guess it's like golf. Until you've tried to play it, you just don't know just how hard that shot the player made was.

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I totally get that. When I hear something special being played I'll sometimes mutter "holy $hit!" or something similar, and then notice non-players looking at me strangely. I guess that's like being privy to an inside joke.

And yeah, that would be me while watching golf.