Me - I don't get upset over pop
music like some people do. There's no point. It'll always be there, whether
it's LMFAO or BSB or whatever.
Friend - Yeah. I actually like
listening to stuff like that sometimes. Its nice to let my mind shut off and
bounce.
Me - Pop has it's place. It's
functional music. I love some stupid trashy music.
Friend - But in my mind, really good
fucking music is like poetry, it evokes something.
Me - I realized the other day that I
can enjoy music on two levels. One being the level most normal people do. And
that's the level that lets me enjoy virtually anything, so long as other people
are there too. I would never listen to some of the
music that people I enjoy hanging out with like. But when I'm with them, I can
have a lot of fun, whether it's pop or country or rap or whatever.
Friend - Hmm interesting.
Me - The second is the work I do as
a scholar. And this is serious business. It's work and I treat it as such. I
mean, I enjoy it, but I think about it intensely. And I write. Sometimes. Not
as much as I should.
Friend - I can see how that would
work.
Me - Anyways, I just became aware of
the disconnect. Like for instance. This girl I like
and I have in part bonded over "classic rock." Except we have
different definitions of what that means. What she really wants is to hear
songs her parents liked when she was young. And that could be anything from
folk to soul to rock to disco, so long as it was recorded before 1980. Stuff
she can sing along to in the car. And I have rigorous aesthetic definitions of
such things that I adhere to in my writing and thinking about rock music and what
that means. But I don't do that when we're hanging out because then I would be
an ass. So instead we sing along to "Let's Get it On" by Marvin Gaye
in the car at 2am.
Friend - Cute.
Me - Fuck yeah, it's adorable. Point
is... I've been able (and I'm just realizing this now) to seperate my own very
serious thoughts about music with what's actually playing, and basically enjoy
music on a human level with people. I used to listen to a lot of really
terrible rap at the spag, because that's what everyone liked. And I was able to
have fun with it. And I hang out with a lot of serious music nerds who can be
total assholes and have no sense of humor about music, and are frankly pretty
nasty for no reason about stupid shit.
Friend - Do you think they are
actually really that angry, or do they feel like its their "duty" as
these cerebral indie fucks to get angry?
Me - Well probably, but here's an
example. So many people give Nickelback shit. And it's like, whatever, if they
weren't doing it, someone else would.
Friend - Yeah, thats why music is so
amazing. Its personal. And interesting. And diverse. And fun. And weird. But it's important as fuck. Like I love car rides with my female
friends and we turn up Drake or Rihanna and laugh and dance... but If I was constantly surrounded
by that I would die. I need someone who if they aren't
interested in my tastes, at least be open and receptive to it.
Me - Totally. Look, I LOVE metal. But a lot of
people will not listen to it. And that doesn't bother me. It's not like I think
some Slayer track is going to make them change their mind.
Friend - Haha, thank you.
Me - It's just that we spend so much
time bludgeoning each other with our musical tastes, like they are clubs. And
that's so stupid. For what? So we can be embarassed about liking things? We
should be sharing. Most music is a shared experience. Or it should be anyways.
It's made when people come together in performance or collaboration, and it's
best enjoyed as such.
Friend - Come together, collaborate
and listen...yep
Me - It's always better to be with
friends (or even strangers) who are united in their appreciation for a piece of
music.
Friend - It's all right there.
Me - Yup, Vanilla Ice had it right all along.
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