I hate your music.
My dad bought me a 2gb mp3 player as an early birthday present this year. It's one of the BEST GIFTS EVER. It's kind of an odd choice for me given my strange relationship with music. My dad was a musician (amongst many other things) playing a dozen or so instruments with skill, whereas about all I play with skill is the 101 key. [snort]
(I do play a number of instruments, but none of them well enough to improvise, which is my particular measure of "good enough." I don't practice enough by any means, so while I have the basic design, it's like someone who just writes e-mail for utility.)
For a long time I was convinced I hated music. I just didn't understand why people listened to it. I mean, so much of it was just, well, "bad." "Bad" meaning it either didn't move me, or only annoyed me. I have had the same suspicion about books, too, but I never hated them ... well, okay, I should say I have a love/hate relationship with my particular genre of choice, too, but that's another story.
A while ago, though, I started finding new music on the 'net, and sharing it with him. He'd throw oldies and new finds of his own at me. We once traded mp3 players for a week just to upgrade our collections. One of the things I've promised for next summer in his memory is to get all of our combined mp3s for a great music swap with some other collectors. Haven't named the meet, but it ought to have a name.
I hadn't realized how important it had become to me until I wrote it down on my list of "things I want." (This is a semi-mythical list of things I would be wanting in a partner and the subject of another post someday, I'm sure.) I know how important music is to other people. It's also a horrible, horrible thing for anyone who would put up with me.
You see, I hate your music.
Oh, we might like something in common, but I have never met someone (even someone I like otherwise) whose music tastes and my own match up. I really am that eclectic in that regard. Right now as I write other stuff I'm listening to a bunch of music I downloaded and rating the songs.
My `first listen' rating system is made up of the following categories:
"No."
I am deleting this song off the drive as soon as I finish this bunch.
"Ehh."
I will listen to it once more, but unless something grabs my attention, I'm getting rid of it then.
"Hmmmm."
I will consider it further.
"Okay."
I think I will like it more if I listen to it regularly.
"Nice."
Keep it.
"Yum."
Keep it. In fact, move it to the player immediately.
I have one other rating: "Unobtrusive," which means I totally forgot I was listening to it and that means it's pretty work-safe, unlike most of the stuff I like.
Of course, now I'm listening to podcasts on my way to work, but I know I'm going back to music.
This is one of the reasons I'm keeping up my "Mix-buddy" experiment; I will trade CDs with people to get exposed to more. I've finally grown up enough not to associate the music with the person (just as I hope people don't associate my taste in music with me ... my taste in other things, maybe, but not music) but, still... with my experience, chances are, I hate your music.
(I ought to note that aiyume is probably the notable exception that proves the rule. My husband, too, he and I generally agree, but I think that's more that he doesn't care so much, so that doesn't count.)
(I do play a number of instruments, but none of them well enough to improvise, which is my particular measure of "good enough." I don't practice enough by any means, so while I have the basic design, it's like someone who just writes e-mail for utility.)
For a long time I was convinced I hated music. I just didn't understand why people listened to it. I mean, so much of it was just, well, "bad." "Bad" meaning it either didn't move me, or only annoyed me. I have had the same suspicion about books, too, but I never hated them ... well, okay, I should say I have a love/hate relationship with my particular genre of choice, too, but that's another story.
A while ago, though, I started finding new music on the 'net, and sharing it with him. He'd throw oldies and new finds of his own at me. We once traded mp3 players for a week just to upgrade our collections. One of the things I've promised for next summer in his memory is to get all of our combined mp3s for a great music swap with some other collectors. Haven't named the meet, but it ought to have a name.
I hadn't realized how important it had become to me until I wrote it down on my list of "things I want." (This is a semi-mythical list of things I would be wanting in a partner and the subject of another post someday, I'm sure.) I know how important music is to other people. It's also a horrible, horrible thing for anyone who would put up with me.
You see, I hate your music.
Oh, we might like something in common, but I have never met someone (even someone I like otherwise) whose music tastes and my own match up. I really am that eclectic in that regard. Right now as I write other stuff I'm listening to a bunch of music I downloaded and rating the songs.
My `first listen' rating system is made up of the following categories:
"No."
I am deleting this song off the drive as soon as I finish this bunch.
"Ehh."
I will listen to it once more, but unless something grabs my attention, I'm getting rid of it then.
"Hmmmm."
I will consider it further.
"Okay."
I think I will like it more if I listen to it regularly.
"Nice."
Keep it.
"Yum."
Keep it. In fact, move it to the player immediately.
I have one other rating: "Unobtrusive," which means I totally forgot I was listening to it and that means it's pretty work-safe, unlike most of the stuff I like.
Of course, now I'm listening to podcasts on my way to work, but I know I'm going back to music.
This is one of the reasons I'm keeping up my "Mix-buddy" experiment; I will trade CDs with people to get exposed to more. I've finally grown up enough not to associate the music with the person (just as I hope people don't associate my taste in music with me ... my taste in other things, maybe, but not music) but, still... with my experience, chances are, I hate your music.
(I ought to note that aiyume is probably the notable exception that proves the rule. My husband, too, he and I generally agree, but I think that's more that he doesn't care so much, so that doesn't count.)