Music – The Search For Individual Understanding
Posted by Streaming Music | Posted in Live Music | Posted on 11-05-2009
Tags: Listen to the lyrics, Music, musician, type of music
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Music is an illusive and hard to define phenomenon. It is more than just a bunch of sounds strung together, it’s a magic that draws out our feelings and creates a feeling in our hearts. The exciting thing is that one individual ’s music, is another individual ’s compilation of random noises. The truth is no type of music is better than another type.
Let’s say you’re a high-brow lover of classical music (OK, that can be a stretch, but play along – you could learn something). You are really into your Bach and Chopin, but you could not appreciate heavy metal or hip hop. To you they can be empty random sounds devoid of meaning. To you the beauty of classical music seems obvious – not like that other stuff.
Nonetheless, the young urban kid feels the same way about their hip hop. To them hip hop is real and relevant. The lyrics are not just words, they convey a meaning that speaks to their fears, plights, and dreams. The music touches them in a individual way – a way that little else in their daily life can.
The fact is that music is an emotional experience that reflects the type of individual that we are. What draws us to a certain genre or musical style is in essence the desire for understanding and acceptance. Each of us is a hand in search the glove that will make us feel the emotional help that we need inside.
For one individual they could need to feel normal and understood. They will like ly search out music that fills this void. They will appreciate lyrics that are a reflection of their lives and choice s. For another, they could find music that makes them feel inspired. Some are drawn to love songs, while others to the blues.
Each of us needs to feel connected in life, and that is more important today than in any time in the past. Our society moves so fast, and the stability of family and community of yesteryear could not be present in our lives today. Each of us is searching for that musical soul mate that will make us feel completed.
Music is individual. The type of music we appreciate does not depend on the music itself, but how the music fits us as individuals. No one type of music is better than another. Each is a unique individual experience that will touch some people in a way that makes them feel whole. All types of music are valid. You could or could not appreciate a style – in fact, you can be bored by it or even offended. But you could not dismiss any type of music. Each represents a voice which must be heard in our society.
Since no type of music is better than another, that very highest quality ly means that no song is better than another, and thus no musician or singer is better than another. Each performer has something to bring to the table, an individual perspective that is divergent than anyone else’s. Sure we all have our preferences, and a specific singer could have better projection or be able to hit a note better. But those are technical elements. Music is an emotional response to a variety of acoustic elements. It is not about how a song sounds, it’s about how you hear it, it’s about how it fits you.
Don’t be narrow in your appreciation of music. Search far and expansive for songs that speak to you. Listen to the lyrics, feel the rhythm, let the music envelope you. Music could create understanding across cultural barriers. Stretch beyond your comfort zone. Listen to musicians and styles that could seem foreign to you. You could just find a glove that fits your hand better than you ever imagined.

