Music Education 101

May 21, 2008 10:02 AM

I would like to be more passionate about music.

I have many friends who have music as one of their top passions in life. I have a hard time understanding this viewpoint, and I'd like to change that. My friends will often gush about the latest CDs they've picked up and there's little more I can do than smile and nod. I'd really like to be able to, say, borrow the CD, have a listen, and have an actual conversation about the contents. So, how do I grow an appreciation for music?

The thing is, I listen to music all the time. I play an instrument and I sing. But I have time forming opinions on music other than "I like this" or "I don't like this". I never salivate over upcoming CD releases or tour dates. Music is, for the most part, simply... there.

I'm not looking for a focus on any particular genre, really - I usually listen to the local indie radio station, but I want to be able to open my ears to literally anything and not only make a like/dislike decision, but also be able to make some deeper informed opinions. Any ideas?

posted by backseatpilot to media & arts (29 comments total)

If there is a key stone to understanding music in the 20th and 21st Centuries its Jazz and Blues begin by studing the history and the structures in these two genres and you can begin to see the formation of rock and hip hop and what distinguishes the indie scene from modern rock.
posted by Rubbstone at 10:15 AM on May 21, 2008

It sounds like you have quite a rational response to music - you either like it, or don't like it, and you feel it's just 'there'. I woud suggest trying to cultivate a more emotional, personal response to music. I think an appreciation of music is quite a subjective thing, so I would encourage you to start by exploring what you feel about music, rather than becoming involved with learning about the technicality of music or the intricacies of different styles.

You must have some personal feelings or affinity to music as you play an instrument and sing. I would think hard about how doing this makes you feel. Furthermore, don't just decide whether you like or dislike a song - what do you like/dislike about it? Why? What does it make you feel? Does it evoke memories? What atmosphere or tone does the music convey (eg melancholy, upbeat, crazy) and how does this affect how you feel about it? If you give all these some thought I think you will be on your way to cultivating a greater appreciation for music, or at least an understanding of why you feel like you do about it.

Also, why not talk to your friends about their CDs/music anyway? You don't have to have anything constructive or intelligent to say - ask them why they like it and what they appreciate about music in general, and you may gain an insight there. However, don't stress if you never feel passionate about music - I'm sure there are other things that you are passionate about in life - don't feel you have to force it if it's not there.
posted by schmoo at 10:19 AM on May 21, 2008

I think your ability to suspend judgment is a beautiful thing! Don't try to change yourself just so you can participate in the often-pointless act of lumping things into categories and making countless value judgments about what is perhaps the most subjective of all the arts.

The fact that you play an instrument and sing means you inherently "get" the power of music. You needn't worry about upcoming CD releases or tour dates. Just keep doing your thing. At the risk of sounding like a pseudo-psychologist, this doesn't sound like a question about music appreciation; it sounds like a question of self-confidence. :-)
posted by justincone at 10:23 AM on May 21, 2008

I'd like to change that.

Why?

Be passionate about the things that you are passionate about. Trying to be passionate about things that you are not actually passionate about is a losing proposition.
posted by Flunkie at 10:27 AM on May 21, 2008

If you want to be a music 'snob', browse Pitchfork's web site (www.pitchforkmedia.com/) some. They're an online magazine focusing around indie rock.
posted by LSK at 10:30 AM on May 21, 2008

If you're looking for a practical way to increase your appreciation of music I think there are two approaches you can take: historical and theoretical.

Rubbstone's answer touches on the former. As with literature (and all the arts, really), you can learn a lot about how to appreciate a piece of music by knowing what came before it. With some historical knowledge you can see how certain genres evolved, and place an album in cultural context. In fact, I'd argue that for some music it's almost imperative to understand a bit of the history, or you miss significance of the samples, quotes, etc. The best ways to do this are to read about and (obviously) listen to a lot of music.

The theoretical approach is more about understanding the music on its own merits. With a solid background in music theory you'll notice and appreciate the little details -- the way a composer plays with a musical form, or how he experiments with weird harmonies. This is the way a lot of classical music fans operate, but it's by no means exclusive to that genre. (Hell, I'm at the point now where I automatically try to do harmonic analysis of songs that go by on the radio.) This isn't everyone's idea of a fun, and you'll naturally need to learn more about music theory, but I find that it can be very rewarding.
posted by danb at 10:32 AM on May 21, 2008

a- a good set of headphones / speakers can make a difference

b- take time to listen rather than just have it on in the background

c- most of all, look around until you find something you actually like. I didn't get excited by music listening to the popular stuff when I was a kid, or the oldies my parents played. It wasn't until I heard the intensity of the guitars of pink floyd in 7th grade that I personally "felt" music. After that I searched around for other bands or musicians who had the same effect, because that effect was so awesome.

It wasn't easy to find the right stuff - a lot of recommendations didn't hit the spot, plus over the years my tastes always shifted, and especially as I became more and more knowledgeable or familiar, it was easy to just kind of think, well, that's kind of just ripping off (whatever). But every now and then, I still find something that gets me, and it is still worth all the searching around to find it.

Individual recommendations seem almost not worth it, having no idea what you will like... But just for some random ideas...

post rock / instrumental:
Mogwai, Godspeed you Black Emperor, Explosions in the Sky, Matmos, Nurse with Wound, Stereolab

classical instrumental:
Stravinski, Arvo Part, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Erik satie

faster, poppy:
Bloc party, the Dears, Arcade fire, donna summer/jason forrest, Death from above 1979

also:
Brian Eno, Soul Coughing, Leonard Cohen, Yo La Tengo, the Smiths...

what have you listened to and been bored by so far?
posted by mdn at 10:33 AM on May 21, 2008

Have you tried listening to music on drugs?
posted by ludwig_van at 10:41 AM on May 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

I'd suggest starting with what you like - anything - even if it's something kind of lame or old. Then, figure out who else likes that particular song or band or style of music, then find out what *else* they like. This is one of the things that the Internet does best, of course. Doesn't mean that you'll like what they like (I usually like about 1 in 15 recommendations), but when it's a good match, it can be amazing.
posted by dreamphone at 10:41 AM on May 21, 2008

I love music. I'm a DJ at a crazy freeform college station where everyone loves music. Keep listening to your local indy station (though, I must say, listening to our stream sporadically will get you a very wide range of musical styles as well. WFMU, KCRW (Morning Becomes Eclectic is a great podcast), and KEXP are wondeful stations too.

I think most people end up ambivalent about music because pop music doesn't have a great deal of range (these days, or ever). Pop music is designed to be minimally offensive, but the flipside of that is that people are minimally passionate about. You just need to find your niche(s) and genre(s). Go see live shows. Once you start finding things you like, use Pandora and last.fm.

Don't let anyone tell you some forms of music are superior to others.

Rubbstone's answer touches on the former. As with literature (and all the arts, really), you can learn a lot about how to appreciate a piece of music by knowing what came before it. With some historical knowledge you can see how certain genres evolved, and place an album in cultural context. In fact, I'd argue that for some music it's almost imperative to understand a bit of the history, or you miss significance of the samples, quotes, etc. The best ways to do this are to read about and (obviously) listen to a lot of music.

See, that's all well and good, but I think you need to have a visceral reaction to the sound first. To get started, I'd just listen to as much as possible to see what resonates.
posted by phrontist at 10:41 AM on May 21, 2008

I'd suggest starting with what you like - anything - even if it's something kind of lame or old. Then, figure out who else likes that particular song or band or style of music, then find out what *else* they like. This is one of the things that the Internet does best, of course. Doesn't mean that you'll like what they like (I usually like about 1 in 15 recommendations), but when it's a good match, it can be amazing.

last.fm is amazing for this. Plug in an artist name and it will show you what other artists people who like that artist listen to.
posted by phrontist at 10:42 AM on May 21, 2008

I have found that often, the more I learn and understand about something, the bigger the chance I will give a crap about it. This works for just about anything you might want to cultivate more interest in. However, there will always be things you learn more about and go "ok, I still don't like it anymore than I did before I took that class" or "ok, I still hate golfing / cooking / trapeze", etc

I like that you at least notice these things about yourself. I think there are a bunch of people to whom it doesn't even occur - i.e. trying to figure out why they like or don't like things in life.

Not that you have to do so, I just dig it.

As to salivating over tour/release dates.... (and potential threadjacking)... when I was younger I was less of a skeptic than I am now, but in my opinion, the ability of artists of any genre, music, art, whatever, to consistently release an entire product that you as the art consumer will truly love all of, every single time their artwork is released, is overestimated. This is not because I think people can't always strive to make excellent art; I just think it's reeeeeealllly hard to consistently do so, over time, and make that art appeal in its enitrety to the same person that experienced the previous work equally well. But I am a picky picky bastard and have very few records in my collection that are different albums by the same artist.
posted by bitterkitten at 10:44 AM on May 21, 2008

Do you ever go to live shows? Seeing a band up close and in person performing can give you more of an emotional connection than just randomly listening to one of their songs.

I would suggest going to a local show when a band you've heard and like comes to town. Buy their album first and listen to it a few times first, because in my opinion you can appreciate a live show better if you're already familiar with the songs. Try to go to a show in a smallish club rather than a big arena or concert hall.

The genre of music doesn't really matter, but it will be a totally different experience depending on what kind of band you see. If you see an indie band the crowd will probably just stand around (it's the indiekid version of dancing) but if you see a hardcore band then prepare to at least be near a bunch of people going crazy in the pit.

You might be bored out of your mind and still not feel any differently about the band. On the other hand, you might find yourself wanting to see them again or hear their next album.
posted by burnmp3s at 10:46 AM on May 21, 2008

Many ways exist to "get into" music.

1) You can be passionate about technical proficiency:
A) How the musicians play their instruments (Eddie, Yngwie), how the singers sing
B) Construction of individual songs
C) Construction of the album as a whole

2) You can be passionate about the lyrics:
A) Subject matter and ideas
B) Turns of phrase

3) Enjoyment of particular instruments:
A) Voice
B) Standard instruments
C) Unusual instruments ("is that some theremin?")

4) You can be passionate about the parts "around" the music:
A) Album art
B) The band's "image"
C) Representation of time and place
D) Cultural significance of a given piece of music
E) Concerts
posted by adipocere at 10:48 AM on May 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

We have a local, all volunteer community radio station - check out their schedule and maybe listen to some of their streaming shows or scan their playlists. I find that the more I listen, the more stuff I am exposed to, and the broader my horizons grow.
I may not go ga-ga for some of it, but I can appreciate it and the talent and passion behind it.
As someone who loves classical, I found that reading Phil Goulding's "50 Greatest Composers and Their 1000 Greatest Compositions" invaluable to my discovering some great music.
posted by willmize at 10:54 AM on May 21, 2008

I don't know if a person can learn to be passionate about something, but I am extremely passionate about music. It started when I was about 13 or 14 (I'm 21 now) when I actually started listening to music I really liked. As the years went by, I upgraded my headphones so that my main pair are Shure e4c's.

It's worth it to listen to individual instruments and how they contribute to the song.
What do the lyrics mean and why does the singer sing certain words a certain way? Can you relate to the lyrics?
Why is that background noise present?

You have experience in music, so you know why there is a bass guitar, but it's cool to see how each group utilizes these 'tools' of music. When you listen to a song you really like over and over again, you're bound to discover something new each time. Which is why I love listening to Weezer's Blue Album, like I am right now. :)
posted by ThirstyEar2 at 11:02 AM on May 21, 2008

The Hype Machine is also a good resource. It aggregates a bunch of music blogs, which will have quite a range of music (though leaning towards certain hipster demographics). Really easily to listen, and you can click through to the original posts to download mp3s.
posted by phrontist at 11:07 AM on May 21, 2008

I find myself in the same boat as you. Play and sing, but I listen to NPR All Songs Considered and find myself wondering how these people can genuinely care THAT MUCH. Sometimes I wonder if playing is really a liability, especially with indie rock. Once you realize that it's yet another 4 white guys with guitars, bass and drums, it really has to be different to make an impression (last thing on ASC I remember going "whoa" with was Firewater - and I didn't bother to follow up on it).

Anecdotally, a lot of people that I've known that have been college DJ's, people with huge collections or abiding interest in music have very little interest in the actual production of music, either by playing, singing or producing. Different strokes.

I've also found the flightiness of well-read music fans to be annoying too - yes, it's true that bands have ups and downs, but similar to sticking by your sports team, sticking by a band has always seemed the equivalent to me for us non-sports types (e.g., my affection for Drive-By Truckers).

Classical and jazz are good ideas. One thing that hasn't been floated yet is the use of nicer equipment. Yes, the stereotype of the "audiophile" only listening to 10 CDs over and over again has some basis in fact, but on a really good stereo or set of headphones you may notice things you didn't before, and get more involved with the music.
posted by rhys at 11:17 AM on May 21, 2008

Great suggestions all, thanks. I guess my motivation for asking this was that music always seems to be one of the first things people bring up when they're in that getting-to-know-you phase, and it always felt awkward to me to answer a question such as "What do you like?" with "Well, I don't know... anything, really...". Couple that with a very short relationship ending partly because she didn't think I was "passionate" about anything (which meant music in this case, I certainly have other passions), and it got me wondering.

I think I will try to attend some live shows and actually take the time to listen to a few albums instead of having it on in the background. I've already tried exploring new music on the guitar, but what seems to interest me there is unusual or challenging technique rather than the sounds that are being produced.
posted by backseatpilot at 11:57 AM on May 21, 2008

I'm in the same boat right now actually. I remember being 16, in love and in turmoil and Nirvana and Radiohead spoke to me. I could listen on my bed for hours and the songs just resonated with me somehow.

Now I'm not as much of an emotional basketcase, and everything I listen to that's cool and indie these days just sounds so stupid. I work at a college radio station too (in the talk department however) so I'm aware of all the hip music these days. Maybe it's because I can't relate to those emotions anymore.

For me, music has gotta have some rhythm and soul to it. I am not interested in ambient, and don't listen to a lot of instrumental music. These days the music doesn't speak to my soul as much, but I listen to a lot of stuff I also play on the guitar -- rolling stones, bruce springsteen, leonard cohen, CCR. For me, it has to have lyrics and I have to be able to relate to those lyrics, or understand them.
posted by Flying Squirrel at 11:59 AM on May 21, 2008

I'm passionate about music, but not particularly articulate about it. Or I guess I should say, sometimes I think there isn't a lot to say about music. There's a lot to sing and play about music, but talking about it can be kind of stupid.

I play the fiddle and there isn't much more I can say abotu another fiddle player sometimes other than "woah, he/she is killer". I can talk about details about the way they play but as someone may have said, talking about music is like dancing about architecture.

I have a friend who is a pretty succesful music journalist. Honestly, when I read his stuff, I'm just thinking, this is complete and total BS. I think it's really hard to write or talk purely about music. Talking about musicians, though, that's a totally different thing.

So you might try being passionate about musicians, maybe the ones that make the music you love. Musicians are tremendously interesting people. Weird, fucked up, unrealistic, beautiful, smart, stupid...all kinds of stuff. Hard to imagine a more interesting crowd than musicians. By their very nature they are going against everything the economy is telling them to do.



As far as getting more excited about music, a couple of thoughts:
1) I've spent many pleasant hours listening to Motown recordings, and checking out the interplay between the rhythm instruments. On a track, like, I don't know, I was Made To Love Her by Stevie Wonder, listen to it 5 times in a row. First time, put your ears on the bass player (James Jamerson, maybe the greatest electric bass player of all time). Then listen to the drums. All Motown drumming is amazing. Then listen for the guitars. What are they doing? How many guitarists are there? Then check out the bass and the drums together...how are they working together. Then maybe the drums and the vocals. How is the drummer reacting to Stevie, and how is Stevie reacting back? And then just listen to Stevie. Is he singing the lyrics like it's a fairy tale or is he living them? What does he do on certain words.

I don't know, sometimes that kind of listening makes me melancholy because it makes me want to be in the room with those guys, but I've spent many a very pleasant walk with a walkman/ipod/whatever and really blissed out into the details of something like that. When I was a kid, I would have only been able to hear it as a single sound, a single song. After 15 years I can hear each instrument, layers of sound, many personalities in one room.
posted by sully75 at 11:59 AM on May 21, 2008

How many times do you listen to a given album before deciding you're not thrilled with it? I often have that detached "I'm not sure what I think of this" feeling when I first listen to some new music. If I took that to mean I wasn't passionate about music and was just wasting my time, then I never would have gotten passionate about music in the first place! Sometimes it's just a matter of listening to the same thing over and over.

You say you would like to be able to borrow CDs from your friends that they're always gushing over, but you don't seem to explain why you don't just go ahead and do this! Ask them for recommendations. Key thing: don't be afraid to give them your honest opinion of things they love. Just say: "I don't see what's so great about this." But don't do it in a negative way -- just tell them you're looking for ideas about new music to listen to. Maybe they can point out the best song from a given band, or maybe they can make a suggestion: "Well, so you don't like ___, but maybe ___ would be more your thing." This would probably be more effective than us giving you general advice without knowing what genres you're interested in.
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:18 PM on May 21, 2008

Be open minded and challenge your tastes.

The best albums make you work for it. Listen to a CD or artist multiple times before trashing it. Sometimes you'll pick up an old album and it sounds completely different. I used to stay away from metal and older rock, but I listened to Metallica and Zeppelin recently and I liked them both.

Ask your friends this question.

Read interviews. I always get excited hearing artists talk about their philosophy or musical technique. Reviews are good too, but sometimes I don't want a Pitchfork writer coloring my opinion of the music.
posted by theiconoclast31 at 12:52 PM on May 21, 2008

I think most people end up ambivalent about music because pop music doesn't have a great deal of range (these days, or ever). Pop music is designed to be minimally offensive, but the flipside of that is that people are minimally passionate about.

Don't let anyone tell you some forms of music are superior to others.

Something of a contradiction there. Plenty of people are passionate about pop music.
posted by ludwig_van at 1:30 PM on May 21, 2008

Also, you might want to check out ILM (I Love Music) and try your question there.
posted by ludwig_van at 1:31 PM on May 21, 2008

Sing. Play. Dance.

The whole experience you're probably looking for is that of the music really moving you. I think something has to click and it runs through you, so to speak, rather than just being something you hear. Lots of people don't have to play or sing or dance in order to get this, but I think it helps.

Singing along with music that makes you feel something when you listen to it magnifies the effect. It's mostly easy, doesn't require any special equipment, and not much training to do it for fun. Singing along in the car or with what's in your head in the shower or whatever is therefore a pretty easy way to try this.

Studying's great and can help you learn to notice a lot of things that you wouldn't otherwise, but nothing helps like climbing inside even a bit more.


Do you ever go to live shows? Seeing a band up close and in person performing can give you more of an emotional connection than just randomly listening to one of their songs.

This is really advice. There can be subtle things that come through in live performances that don't in recordings. I never got opera, it's still not my favorite thing, but going to a good live one really made a difference in my ability to appreciate the art somewhat. Orchestral music? Live performances are a must to really get it.

But even in pop generes: make sure you try going to different kinds of live shows. I know some people just love it when everything's so loud that the sound not only saturates the air but literally vibrates your rib cage, but it usually leaves me cold or outright annoys me. Partly because personally, constant maximum energy isn't my cup of tea in music (I'd rather have dynamic range, thank you), partly because it's sheer stupid insanity to damage your hearing for the love of music. My personal preferences aren't the point here, though, just the observation that it's entirely possible one style of live performance may leave you cold, one may really do something for you.
posted by weston at 1:39 PM on May 21, 2008

The situation you are describing, in which your friends express interest in a particular musical recording, they share it with you, and you don't experience the same enthusiasm, leads me to the following conclusion:

The music doesn't change, the way it's heard does. The best way to learn to appreciate something is to talk to someone who does appreciate it about why they do. You should learn to listen the way they listen. If they tell you what to listen for, you will learn what they appreciate about the misuc. Then you can decide if that's something you also appreciate about the music and can come to your own aesthetic opinions about the music.



In short, talk to and learn from those who you want to emulate.
posted by billtron at 5:13 PM on May 21, 2008

Go to live shows. Dance.
posted by flabdablet at 3:57 AM on May 22, 2008

My advice, since you've already gotten some good upthread, is to also learn to embrace the hate. I realize that it's kind of hypocritical of my to say, because I've spent the last several years getting better at listening and learning to appreciate things on their own merits, but that's also a kind of dispassionate hearing.

So try seeking out things that you really can't stand, that don't even make sense as music for you. And try to articulate why—the tinny guitars, the pitch-shifted vocals, the die grinders in Merzbow…
posted by klangklangston at 1:27 PM on May 22, 2008