4 ms·

My 2 cents: Honestly I think I've just outgrown modern music - it's geared towards younger people. What seemed complex and interesting now seems repetitive and

My 2 cents: Honestly I think I've just outgrown modern music - it's geared towards younger people. What seemed complex and interesting now seems repetitive and empty. Before you accuse me of being arrogant: I feel like I should be mature enough to start listening to "real" music (e.g. classical) by now, but I find that it's too far over my head. So I think I'm in a musical "limbo".

spywaregorilla 4y ago
Have you considered searching for music that is both modern and not empty?
- silent_cal 4y ago
  Yes - and maybe "modern" isn't the best word - mean the popular genres like R&B, alt rock, etc. But it's the same problem - I don't know who the good composers are of "real" music, and I don't know where to start looking.
  - synthpop 4y ago
    Any attempt to hold music by some metric of purity ('real'ness) is always bound to be reductive and rather joyless imo. Surely there has to be 'classic' artists or genres that you've enjoyed at one time or another. Leverage the existing knowledge or potential curiosities that are within that pallette, and explore the rabbit hole a little deeper. Go back to your favorite tunes and look beyond just the name on the box. (Who are the performers/producers on that great album I spun endlessly back in the day? What other works have they been a part? Did they ever namedrop other artists in old interviews? Who'd they tour with? What other stuff did their label put out? etc. This can be repeated endlessly with every new name you come across that piques your interest. Rateyourmusic, Discogs and Wikipedia are probably good starting points to reference this info.) I think anyone could likely find a trove of new (to you, at least) content by simply digging a bit outside of their comfort zone to try genres that are totally alien to your ears, like Avant Garde Jazz or Krautrock or Experimental music, just for example. Or by finding a genre you know you like, then exploring the likely myriad subgenres which emerged years later or are developing right now under its influence. A lot of the most satisfying things in life won't be fed to you, so the most important thing is to just keep an open mind and appreciate that although certain things may not click right away, it may not be worth writing off entirely. An important aspect of appreciating contemporary music is being aware of the cultural canon from which it was born and finds itself released within. I find that being able to connect some dots in one way or another between older and more contemporary artists/releases/genres will yield a greater appreciation of what's happening today. Applies to all forms of art, really.
JohnicBoom 4y ago
One thing that has been (and continues to be) an incredible resource in understanding classical music is the radio show Exploring Music: https://www.wfmt.com/programs/exploring-music/ https://www.wfmt.com/programs/exploring-music/ It took me a while to be able to really get into it, but without Bill's explanations and enthusiasm, I would still be lost. His fantastic voice is icing on the cake.
- silent_cal 4y ago
  Thanks, I will check this out!
PheonixPharts 4y ago
Trouble with most contemporary music (for many decades now) is that it's written primarily by young people about young people's life experiences and even older musicians have only ever been famous musicians. Songs are about the excitement of love, the challenges of meeting your dreams, and basically just the problems of young adulthood. That's one think I like about older blues. Many of those classic blues musicians still had to work to pay the bills, had families, and were never going to be pop stars. It's people singing about how tiring work is, how complex married life can be, and what it's like to worry about paying bills and just getting by to the next day. They sing about getting older and being less energetic and passionate than you once were. The funny thing is that I only listen to blues on the radio at night when doing some errands, so I couldn't name a single artist I've listened to. But sometimes sitting in a parking a lot, just after turning the ignition, you realize you can let the ice cream melt just a bit to take the time to hear someone else sing about troubles that are ultimately not so different from your own.
- silent_cal 4y ago
  Great insight, I think you are spot on. I had a similar experience when I discovered Mississippi John Hurt, and even once when I happened upon an old guy playing blues on a guitar with 3 strings on it, just sitting by the sidewalk. Blues is much more relatable to me.

spywaregorilla 4y ago

Have you considered searching for music that is both modern and not empty?

silent_cal 4y ago
Yes - and maybe "modern" isn't the best word - mean the popular genres like R&B, alt rock, etc. But it's the same problem - I don't know who the good composers are of "real" music, and I don't know where to start looking.
- synthpop 4y ago
  Any attempt to hold music by some metric of purity ('real'ness) is always bound to be reductive and rather joyless imo. Surely there has to be 'classic' artists or genres that you've enjoyed at one time or another. Leverage the existing knowledge or potential curiosities that are within that pallette, and explore the rabbit hole a little deeper. Go back to your favorite tunes and look beyond just the name on the box. (Who are the performers/producers on that great album I spun endlessly back in the day? What other works have they been a part? Did they ever namedrop other artists in old interviews? Who'd they tour with? What other stuff did their label put out? etc. This can be repeated endlessly with every new name you come across that piques your interest. Rateyourmusic, Discogs and Wikipedia are probably good starting points to reference this info.) I think anyone could likely find a trove of new (to you, at least) content by simply digging a bit outside of their comfort zone to try genres that are totally alien to your ears, like Avant Garde Jazz or Krautrock or Experimental music, just for example. Or by finding a genre you know you like, then exploring the likely myriad subgenres which emerged years later or are developing right now under its influence. A lot of the most satisfying things in life won't be fed to you, so the most important thing is to just keep an open mind and appreciate that although certain things may not click right away, it may not be worth writing off entirely. An important aspect of appreciating contemporary music is being aware of the cultural canon from which it was born and finds itself released within. I find that being able to connect some dots in one way or another between older and more contemporary artists/releases/genres will yield a greater appreciation of what's happening today. Applies to all forms of art, really.

JohnicBoom 4y ago

One thing that has been (and continues to be) an incredible resource in understanding classical music is the radio show Exploring Music: https://www.wfmt.com/programs/exploring-music/ https://www.wfmt.com/programs/exploring-music/ It took me a while to be able to really get into it, but without Bill's explanations and enthusiasm, I would still be lost. His fantastic voice is icing on the cake.

silent_cal 4y ago
Thanks, I will check this out!

PheonixPharts 4y ago

Trouble with most contemporary music (for many decades now) is that it's written primarily by young people about young people's life experiences and even older musicians have only ever been famous musicians. Songs are about the excitement of love, the challenges of meeting your dreams, and basically just the problems of young adulthood. That's one think I like about older blues. Many of those classic blues musicians still had to work to pay the bills, had families, and were never going to be pop stars. It's people singing about how tiring work is, how complex married life can be, and what it's like to worry about paying bills and just getting by to the next day. They sing about getting older and being less energetic and passionate than you once were. The funny thing is that I only listen to blues on the radio at night when doing some errands, so I couldn't name a single artist I've listened to. But sometimes sitting in a parking a lot, just after turning the ignition, you realize you can let the ice cream melt just a bit to take the time to hear someone else sing about troubles that are ultimately not so different from your own.

silent_cal 4y ago
Great insight, I think you are spot on. I had a similar experience when I discovered Mississippi John Hurt, and even once when I happened upon an old guy playing blues on a guitar with 3 strings on it, just sitting by the sidewalk. Blues is much more relatable to me.