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Music - Am I weird ?
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This is a very good question. You might just have been able to resist the aggressive marketing of the pop culture(general indifference to music helps).
It is also can open discussions about the "soft power" of music. I don't remember myself actually "studying" or ever "wanting" to speak English. It seems to "just happen" so naturally through listening to the music.
Mmmmmm, 4AD bands!
Yeah, I agree that vocal sound crosses a lot of genres (for example, shoegaze, New Age, choral, opera, New Romantic, goth rock) so it's hard to do a single keyword search. Anyway, here are some suggestions if you haven't already discovered them:
Shelia Chandra (especially This Sentence Is True)
My Bloody Valentine/Loveless (best either with headphones or loud on a good sound system)
Yasmine Hamdan
Julee Cruise (if you like David Lynch, you already know about her)
Young Marble Giants
Mojave 3
Cowboy Junkies/The Trinity Session (well, not exactly a secret)
Astrud Gilberto (yes, there's more to her than Getz/Gilberto)
Nouvelle Vague (stick with the first album, the joke gets old)
And the best way to experience Glass Pieces, I believe, is the Jerome Robbins dance set to Glass' music. This is one version:
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And one more thing: an entry point to Eno for 80s fans is My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, a collaboration with David Byrne.
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When my grandfather died in the late 60's, one of the items he bequeathed me was a very large, wooden frame AM tube radio. It was maybe 4' tall, but I was a preteen so it seemed so large.
I would be able to listen from northern Wisconsin, to WLS in Chicago and on good days a rock station from Arkansas. I believe in Little Rock. I also could get Montreal Canadiens Hockey broadcasts so that became my team.
Man I wish I still had that.
Philip Glass has composed some extraordinarily haunting music (yes, I know Glassworks, and have it on my iPod).
He also composed the soundtrack for the excellent movie The Hours - well worth a listen if you haven't come across it.
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This album is currently available on Spotify but has not been on Apple Music for some time (at least in my region).
I was actually thinking the other day how probably having video game music endlessly looping in the 1990's plays into music taste of people my age. That and music in TV/movies being stuff from 1950's to 70's around that time. Plus we were studying classical music/watching musicals in grade (public) school. Like that all could have easily lead to some resisting later pop culture and being indifferent.
Things that wouldn't have been in play 20 years beforehand. Which is why I don't disagree with @rm5 when they said they understand the people who don't like it. Their generation is going to have the same problems that most likely started with mine.
Things that wouldn't have been in play 20 years beforehand. Which is why I don't disagree with @rm5 when they said they understand the people who don't like it. Their generation is going to have the same problems that most likely started with mine.
Although this does bring up a good point though. There's a book called Scoring the Screen: The Secret Language of Film Music, which I would not recommend reading unless you're a musician, because you likely won't understand it. I actually don't even really like the book—I put it down halfway through because I'd had enough of it. The author makes a good point at the very beginning that film music is indeed classical music. That's part of the reason also why I stopped reading it, because it was giving me the false impression that you needed to be a classically-trained musician to be a film composer. Anyway, my point being, that if you were studying classical music in school, and film music, according to the author of the book, is basically classical music, then you absolutely have a reason for it to have more of an impact on you. I hope I'm making sense here... but I don't know where I stand with that one to be honest.
Music is so much different than it was 50 years ago. And I wasn't even alive 50 years ago, but I just know from consuming that kind of music. I would say music was better 50 years ago. Even 30 years ago. But now, people are regurgitating the same music that was made at that time, and making their own, pretty terrible tbh, music in the form of remixes/covers.
I also think in the context of jazz, it's a bit different, because the tune was likely written in the first half of the 20th century. So the SONG is good, and so are most "covers," that came after it. So are some of the contrafacts of such tunes. But that's coming from me, a jazz musician who appreciates and explores that type of music.
I’d say Danny Elfman, Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor, and Hans Zimmer prove classical training isn’t that relevant…at least from a getting gigs and audience recognition perspective. However, the converse isn’t true…a lot of music composed in classical forms by non-classically trained film composers is repetitive and not very interesting for focused listening.
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Reference to another thread: people who are triggered by massive amounts of a/v gear should not watch this video:
;-)
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Right. That's why I avoid composing classical cues for film scores, because I don't know how to do it.
Also, I LOVE that interview! I've probably watched it three or four times over by now! And no, I'm not triggered by massive amounts of AV gear because I'm around massive amounts of AV gear multiple times a week 😀
I don't think everybody has to enjoy music to the same degree. Do you enjoy some of the music you are exposed to though? And do you have other things you enjoy like reading, sports, etc.? If so, I don't see the problem with this.
It's because good classical music is essentially good storytelling that stands on its own already and you're already thinking about how it breaks down in movements/emotion. So it goes hand and hand with film.
I listen to music more than anything. There are times I don't watch tv, but will listen to music instead. Doesn't matter if I am listening to Death/Grind metal or classical music. It all relaxes me or pumps me up.
I get there are some people who can do without it... but to answer your question. In my book, yes you are weird.
I get there are some people who can do without it... but to answer your question. In my book, yes you are weird.
I listen to music every time I am driving my car (thanks to BT and my iPhone) and at home, when I'm in the mood I listen to music, too. It is all too easy to spend hours shifting from one music genre to another, one singer or group to another as the fancy strikes me. I'm actually listening to the music, mind you, not just using it as some sound in the background while I'm preoccupied with some other activity. When I hear of a new artist I'll often check him or her out on YT and explore their particular way of expressing themselves. Other times I will suddenly get the urge to listen to a favorite song or two or to a favorite artist and his/her catalog of music and spend time in my iTunes library....
Music moves me, it affects me, I love it, and I cannot imagine life without it. Music can be transformative, it can be soothing and calming or exciting and filled with energy and this does tend to affect the listener. (By the way, I'm talking about real music, not that hip-hop/rap-crap stuff.) Yes, I'm older. Yes, I prefer real music. Beautiful classical arias or instrumental pieces can transport me, and so can lively rock songs.
I don't have or want to have music playing all the time at home, though; it's more of a deliberate choice. Ditto for not having a TV turned on all the time; I don't need or want that background noise -- when I am ready to concentrate on something, such as doing important paperwork, for me any background sound is just too distracting. This is when it comes in handy to be hearing-impaired. By removing my hearing aids I can literally shut off most of the extraneous sounds around me and do what I need to do in true peace and quiet.
To be honest, it has always rather interested me how apparently for other people this continuous sound -- either the TV going all the time or music playing nonstop as background -- seems to be really essential.
Music moves me, it affects me, I love it, and I cannot imagine life without it. Music can be transformative, it can be soothing and calming or exciting and filled with energy and this does tend to affect the listener. (By the way, I'm talking about real music, not that hip-hop/rap-crap stuff.) Yes, I'm older. Yes, I prefer real music. Beautiful classical arias or instrumental pieces can transport me, and so can lively rock songs.
I don't have or want to have music playing all the time at home, though; it's more of a deliberate choice. Ditto for not having a TV turned on all the time; I don't need or want that background noise -- when I am ready to concentrate on something, such as doing important paperwork, for me any background sound is just too distracting. This is when it comes in handy to be hearing-impaired. By removing my hearing aids I can literally shut off most of the extraneous sounds around me and do what I need to do in true peace and quiet.
To be honest, it has always rather interested me how apparently for other people this continuous sound -- either the TV going all the time or music playing nonstop as background -- seems to be really essential.
I used to listen to music a lot more than I do now. I drive less, for one thing, and spend more time at home where others (yes, it's them, don't question it 😠) have lousy taste in music and don't appreciate mine.
I have to say, I'm happier when I listen to music more, and sometimes get into a headphone mood, but I prefer music in the open air where I'm less isolated...
I have to say, I'm happier when I listen to music more, and sometimes get into a headphone mood, but I prefer music in the open air where I'm less isolated...
Getting on in years now, so my hearing isn't too flash where as my wee dog has excellent hearing so I use earphones so he doesn't get blasted. (Don't want to make him go deaf.)
My fav place for music is you tubes ..those remakes they do with music from my time are just amazing...such a blast. And some of the older recordings allow me to see wot the bands look(ed) like. ..haven grown up knowing the music on the radio (transistor ) without having seen them.
My fav place for music is you tubes ..those remakes they do with music from my time are just amazing...such a blast. And some of the older recordings allow me to see wot the bands look(ed) like. ..haven grown up knowing the music on the radio (transistor ) without having seen them.
Yes, most certainly.
I have several of their albums......bought some time ago as LPs.
Why not simply say that the music she likes is her preference, which you don't share, rather than that her choice of music (which you don't much care for) is "really dumb"?
This is something I used to notice from male classmates at university, - several of whom (who were often passionate about music) didn't just confine themselves to extolling the virtues of whatever music they liked, but who also insisted on taking a judgmental attitude to some of the musical preferences of their female classmates.
Personally, I loathe rap, and hip hop, and never much cared for heavy metal, whereas I love a lot of classical music, (especially Baroque), trad, classic rock, a fair bit if pop, folk, some jazz, and so on.
However, I do think during our youth that many people seemed to see their choice of musical preferences - or their musical discoveries - or the music that was popular at the time - as part of their identity, which was especially strong when they were teens as that was the time when they were assembling their identity, or sense of self.
This is much less pronounced nowdays; firstly, people seem to find other ways, means and methods of assembling, or crafting, an identity (much of it increasingly online); secondly, I suspect that not as many youngsters are messing around with, taking lessons in, learning and exploring music with musical instruments (piano, guitar, to name two obvious ones which a great many of my peers - male and female both - were acquainted with, and, in some cases, very familiar with, in some way or another when I was growing up) as was the case when I was a teenager.
Yes, music moves me, too, sometimes very powerfully.
And agree also with not having the need for background noise, or stimulation; I can never understand people who want a TV especially (and yes, also a radio) on in the background all of the time.
Turn them on when you wish to listen to (or watch) something, so that this is a deliberate choice.
Since my mother's death (and yes, the subsequent pandemic) I have come to treasure silence. It is wonderful.
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When my wife and I were dating, DCD came to Los Angeles and we went to a concert. Unfortunately, I believe this was right around the time Lisa and Brendan were having some issues.
Lisa was on time that night, but apparently the rest of the band (and Brendan) had not gotten the message that they had a concert. They all rolled in a bit late looking as if they'd just come from the beach (as my wife put it). Which, considering Los Angeles…that was entirely possible.
The concert was still great though, but sometime later DCD went silent for some time as a band.
Because its a 'game'. According to her, all 80s music sucks. She tells me that and I tell her, some of her music sucks.
Neither of us really means it. Oh sure, we have our preferences (and my wife really does loathe 1980s pop music), but it's all just playful banter. Nothing more.
My wife is Mexican-American and she was born in East Los Angeles. I know when to back off.
Years ago, I remember attending a Michael Nyman concert with my dad (he loved this music, and I had given him a CD of the soundtrack to The Piano), where - at the last minute - it was announced that the concert would be well over two hours late (some breakdown en route from the airport, or a late flight, or something).
Anyway, the audience were instructed to leave, and return, over two hours - it was closer to three - hours later.
They did, but - by then, it was clear that by then many of them had spent that intervening time in cheerful contemplation (and consumption) of sundry beverages, grape and grain both featuring heavily, and, that, by the time they returned (and not all returned) were rather well lubricated. And - as events transpired - it was equally clear, by the time that they materialised on stage, that some of the musicians were in a somewhat similar state.
I was sorry for my dad, for, this was a treat, (but he was polite and said that he had enjoyed it).
Anyway, the audience were instructed to leave, and return, over two hours - it was closer to three - hours later.
They did, but - by then, it was clear that by then many of them had spent that intervening time in cheerful contemplation (and consumption) of sundry beverages, grape and grain both featuring heavily, and, that, by the time they returned (and not all returned) were rather well lubricated. And - as events transpired - it was equally clear, by the time that they materialised on stage, that some of the musicians were in a somewhat similar state.
I was sorry for my dad, for, this was a treat, (but he was polite and said that he had enjoyed it).
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