What is music?

I have always had a strange relationship with music. From a very young age I have been involved in music; I learned the piano, the violin, took theory lessons and voice lessons. Although I liked going to classes and meeting new people, I never really took to them. The violin hurt my neck when I played it and my piano teacher would pick her nose and flick it onto the keys as I played. Needless to say, I gave that up. I learned the theoretical side but without an instrument to practice with, forgot all the words and functions of the little squiggles. Besides, going to music classes wasn’t cool to the ignorant, closed minded people I tried so desperately to fit in with. So, that was that.

When I was a young teenager, the popular music was “dance” music and Rap music. Therefore in order to be socially accepted I had to eat, sleep and breathe the music of the era. I would listen to this music and never really get it. I never got why music was such a big deal, how people could love it so much. After all, dance music was the only “cool” music so anything else wasn’t worth listening to and anyone who did was weird.

In secondary school, or high school to my lovely yankee doodles, it was generally the same thing. There wasn’t as much pressure to be into the right kind of music, but I felt obligated to listen to the same music as my peers. If I didn’t hear of a new song or music artist I would be greeted with a blank stare paired with an “Oh my Gooood I can’t believe you haven’t heard of him, what a loser.” So I had my iPod loaded with the newest songs but never truly got lost in music.

Then I hit college. I met new people from all walks of life and realised it was ok to be yourself and dress how you want to dress and talk how you want to talk and listen to whatever music moved you. As I met more “alternative” people as the stereotype labels them, I began to investigate new forms of music that they recommended. Some I liked, some I hated. But I discovered the true meaning of music.

As I listened to the music I become enamoured, losing myself completely in the emotion and lyric of the song. I realised that I don’t like any genre. At all. I like songs. If an individual song moves me I will love it regardless of who sings it and what genre it is. I don’t even care about the name of the song or any other song said band has, it’s irrelevant. All I care about is the music and how it makes me feel.

For example, Clair de lune is my all-time favourite composition of music. When I listen to this melody I feel the cycle of life; the tunebegins softly and peacefully, crescendos in certain areas and finally fades off in quiet weakness. I frequently cry listening to this no matter how often I already have, because I know no matter how hard my life gets or how it crescendos, it will eventually soften to sweet melodious harmony.

I have been called emo, mainstream, weird for my taste in music, but honestly who cares what others think? If this music makes me happy does it truly matter what stereotype my music throws me into?

Here’s some examples of the music I like so that you can freely and easily agree or judge.

Bella’s Lullaby http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoBoeg-oyBA

Staind: Outside http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYQnolOq88U

30 seconds to mars: Modern Myth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZds7HnSXyw

Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra: Kiss the sky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jQcl0v26Ms

Pink: Nobody Knows http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfX2MGN05BQ

My Chemical Romance: I don’t love you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO9Lj0T93Xk

John Mayer: Free Falling http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmXuSFYRhzM

Sigur Ros: Untitled #1 (when singing kicks in at around 2mins) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqJ8hFgYwVg

Antsy Pants: Tree Hugger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R378SwPH-b0

Of course, these are only very few examples of music I like. I also like happy songs obviously! And some popular rock, pop, heavy metal etc. but these are the type of songs I get most ridiculed for.

I still get those people who slate me for not knowing a particular song or make me feel stupid for not liking a particular genre (or getting the name wrong like saying dead-mow-five instead of dead-mouse for Deadmau5, but really, why would I possibly assume the 5 was an S?). I realise now, however, that if I cared any less what they think of my taste in music I’d spontaneously induce into a choma.

Listen to whatever music you want to listen to and what really moves you, be it hardcore heavy metal, old school rock, modern hip hop or Barbie Girl. Otherwise you’ll miss out on what music truly is.

Happy hair-brush singing,

Aila Maritz xox