What does the music you listen to say about you?

[Herodadotus]

I dunno, I've always liked all music, from stuff people would call inane bullshit to the avant garde. Nothing's ever been 'the best music' or 'the worst music', since every genre has it's crap and it's gold.

I'll agree that most jazz nowadays is just "here's the book, read the book, learn how to do jazz right", which pisses me off to no end. It staves off any actual creativity, when you should be working with other musicians to create more stuff and get nearer to the edge.

[Sakonosolo]

Even though it is kind of pointless I do like defining artists/songs by genre even if it's arbitrary since it helps you know what the sound like.

[The Beast]

A lot of the music predating the 1920s I most loved was stuff I couldn't play with anyways, or was less likely to, as a cellist. Like French impressionism, which lends itself beautifully to personal touch and influence (compared to like Bach, which has two modes: Glenn Gould and everybody else; boring) but is basically piano or bust. Debussy or Monet

I was always big with Sibelius, Mahler, Dvorak, Mussorgsky, Wagner, or shit but by the time I was working with half and half on music I actually liked, it was too much and I knew I just had to duck. I had tons of fun and loved it while it lasted at least. But when I played in symphonic stuff I was always critic first, player second and had so much more fun just like

Getting out of it.

--- Update From New Post Merge ---

I'll agree that most jazz nowadays is just "here's the book, read the book, learn how to do jazz right", which pisses me off to no end. It staves off any actual creativity, when you should be working with other musicians to create more stuff and get nearer to the edge.

My jazz teacher could suck a boner, I'm playing Mingus my way

[Herodadotus]

A lot of the music predating the 1920s I most loved was stuff I couldn't play with anyways, or was less likely to, as a cellist. Like French impressionism, which lends itself beautifully to personal touch and influence (compared to like Bach, which has two modes: Glenn Gould and everybody else; boring) but is basically piano or bust. Debussy or Monet

I was always big with Sibelius, Mahler, Dvorak, Mussorgsky, Wagner, or shit but by the time I was working with half and half on music I actually liked, it was too much and I knew I just had to duck. I had tons of fun and loved it while it lasted at least. But when I played in symphonic stuff I was always critic first, player second and had so much more fun just like

Getting out of it.

--- Update From New Post Merge ---



My jazz teacher could suck a boner, I'm playing Mingus my way

I can feel ya there. It always sucks when people expect you to play a piece a certain way. A friend of mine had this exact same beef with his teacher. It was never, "how would you personally play this?" It was always, "Play like Wynton, he's good."

When someone tells you to play like someone, it's takes away the basic thing of music, personal influence.

I'm not gonna play fuckin' Scrapple from the Apple the same way Parker does it, but that's what's expected of a saxophonist.

That being said, my jazz teacher is really chill with us experimenting. For our jazz combo concert, my group did a psychadelic mix of Stella by Starlight with our trumpet player connected to an amp with distortion. It was completely different, but people enjoyed something different from the constant "be-bop, be-bop, ballad, bossa nova, be-bop" crap.

[Hiroy]

I don't really think music says much about me to me completely honest. I listen to multiple genres. All for different reasons. But I do remember one moment sometime a few months ago. It was long, hard and boring day at work with a client that gave us an unreasonable and seemingly impossible job that paid absolutely nothing. It was horrible to know such an unfair occupation like that existed, but my boss did it anyway to keep the reputation of his company(long story short, we buffed 3 trucks in a day)

I got a ride home from my boss, and he played extremely loud rap music with a speaker system that vibrated his car. Before this, people who played music in the fashion was a disturbance to me, but that moment... it felt just right. It was like a big "Fuck you! Fuck your class. Deal with it. This world can be terrible and we are enjoying living in it, thankyouverymuch." I've never had that much fun during a drive... EVER. I mean, it was not killing anyone and while it may have bothered those that preferred a quiet drive, I didn't really care at that point. So yeah, that's the one time music ever truly said something about me. Which is, I don't mind having a fleeting moment of enjoyment at someone's else's expense for a few seconds ^^

There's more, but I'll get into that later. I would not want to throw everything in one post.

[tigerlilly]

Hm I realized the majority of my music collection borders into the more melancholic, melodic side.
I think I would call myself an upbeat person but when it comes to music I love to indulge in some bittersweet, softer emotions. Except for when it comes to my beloved baby that is Funk. That's how I get my groove on.
I have a soft spot for instrumental and accoustic music here, too.
One of the things I like when it comes to accoustic music is that I love to hear people breath in while playing brass instruments and also the squeak of fingers running over the guitar chords while playing. It gives the music a very organic vibe. I hope this doesn't sound creepy lol

However I try to see what others see in other musical genres and try to listen to almost any style. There is beauty in everything to be discoverd. It is the hardest for me to crack deathmetal for around a year now.

I have no idea how much the taste in music shows about a person, though I think it can show a bit of the "essence" of a person. But it's nothing you couldn't find out on your own with a bit of instincts.

Connected to this subject (somehow), I'm a little afraid to share the short list of my favourite bands with anyone because I fear to be judged. It's probably stupid, but still...

I am feeling you on this one, Nolus.
It's so bad with me I can't leave my mp3 player lying around in the open since it contains my concentrated collection of geekness/slightly disturbing tracks. Also there are the couple of songs I am aware of how shitty they are, but I just need to listen to them in secret once in a while.

I don't really think music says much about me to me completely honest. I listen to multiple genres. All for different reasons. But I do remember one moment sometime a few months ago. It was long, hard and boring day at work with a client that gave us an unreasonable and seemingly impossible job that paid absolutely nothing. It was horrible to know such an unfair occupation like that existed, but my boss did it anyway to keep the reputation of his company(long story short, we buffed 3 trucks in a day)

I got a ride home from my boss, and he played extremely loud rap music with a speaker system that vibrated his car. Before this, people who played music in the fashion was a disturbance to me, but that moment... it felt just right. It was like a big "Fuck you! Fuck your class. Deal with it. This world can be terrible and we are enjoying living in it, thankyouverymuch." I've never had that much fun during a drive... EVER. I mean, it was not killing anyone and while it may have bothered those that preferred a quiet drive, I didn't really care at that point. So yeah, that's the one time music ever truly said something about me. Which is, I don't mind having a fleeting moment of enjoyment at someone's else's expense for a few seconds ^^

There's more, but I'll get into that later. I would not want to throw everything in one post.

hahah These are the best kinds of musical experiences! :D Sometimes a song just fits and it feels like the soundtrack to your life.
Similar to this I have certtain songs that remind me of a certain event or even a whole summer, and all it takes to throw me back there is to listen to the song in an unexpected moment. The human brain works in mystrious ways.

[GuetaMinute]

I don't really think music says much about me to me completely honest. I listen to multiple genres. All for different reasons. But I do remember one moment sometime a few months ago. It was long, hard and boring day at work with a client that gave us an unreasonable and seemingly impossible job that paid absolutely nothing. It was horrible to know such an unfair occupation like that existed, but my boss did it anyway to keep the reputation of his company(long story short, we buffed 3 trucks in a day)

I got a ride home from my boss, and he played extremely loud rap music with a speaker system that vibrated his car. Before this, people who played music in the fashion was a disturbance to me, but that moment... it felt just right. It was like a big "Fuck you! Fuck your class. Deal with it. This world can be terrible and we are enjoying living in it, thankyouverymuch." I've never had that much fun during a drive... EVER. I mean, it was not killing anyone and while it may have bothered those that preferred a quiet drive, I didn't really care at that point. So yeah, that's the one time music ever truly said something about me. Which is, I don't mind having a fleeting moment of enjoyment at someone's else's expense for a few seconds ^^

There's more, but I'll get into that later. I would not want to throw everything in one post.

Perhaps I may look like more of a douchebag than I usually do, but I enjoy driving or riding around with friends and playing loud music, usually rap. I don't know, I know some people like to relax while driving, but I'm the other way around. I'd be listening to 2pac or Dr. Dre or even Drake or Tyler the Creator or Childish Gambino or Deltron 3030. Completely different kinds of rap, but I'd be listening to it all.

Music says a lot about me. I can listen to that rap. I can listen to the mainstream shit most people call garbage, especially here. I can listen to the gangster rap hit classics. I can listen to the old 80s rap or I can listen to new underground rap. I can listen to whatever, pretty much, depending on who I am with and where I am.

My collection has shit from Alejandro Sanz and Shakira and Paulina Rubio to Luis Miguel and Monkey Majik and OFWGKTA and Kings of Leon to Mac Miller and Miles Davis and Nujabes and Bill Evans Trio to Caifanes and Jamiroquai and Maroon 5 and Slayer to Venom and video game soundtracks and Muse and different mixtapes and compilations and RHCP and The Seatbelts. Obviously it's still not as diverse compared to a few notable guys here but I like knowing that I can just put my iPod on shuffle and whatever I find I'll listen to it. I don't listen so much to one particular genre to be labeled a metalhead or a hipster or whatever.

Back when I was 12 I went through that shitty "ONLY CLASSIC ROCK FOR ME FUCK EVERYTHING ELSE" phase, but even then I was being so tryhard because I still enjoyed listening to top 40 radio and oldies but goodies disco pop and funk hits. I love music from a lot of genres spanning from a lot of decades. Am I trying to brag? Of course not. This is nothing compared to some of you guys. I like that a lot of people here listen to a very diverse library of music and can listen to pretty much anything, mostly. I guess I see more people dismiss rap here but still, it's just one genre compared to a ton of others.


On the whole experience thing, I love listening to nostalgic music that reminds me of when I used to live in Mexico. All the top hits in Spanish, mostly rock and pop and pop-rock and ballads. I love listening to shit that reminds me of good times. Likewise, I hate listening to something that reminds me of a negative experience. Glad to say so far I haven't encountered such a song in particular. Even when I lived in Mexico we would get one radio in English cause we were so close to the border (Hell, I still am, I go there every weekend for parties and shit) and I would love listening to Smash Mouth and Sugar Ray and blink. Also listened to a lot of CCR and Madonna and Bee Gees and ABBA and Beatles on mom's CDs, as well as Luis Miguel, Marco Antonio Solis and Shakira and Alejandro Sanz and Jose Jose.

[The Beast]

I have a soft spot for instrumental and accoustic music here, too.
One of the things I like when it comes to accoustic music is that I love to hear people breath in while playing brass instruments and also the squeak of fingers running over the guitar chords while playing. It gives the music a very organic vibe. I hope this doesn't sound creepy lol

No, its the best

I love rawness in recordings. Anything that give an extra vibe that there's a real human behind it is absolutely my favorite little detail

[The Laughing Man]

I listen to pretty much all genres of music; from rock to rap, trance to jazz, pop to metal etc. etc. (though my favorite genres = rock and metal; so I do prefer some genres over other genres). So...I guess that tells me...I'm a mess. =P

[GuetaMinute]

I love playing acoustic guitar and hearing the slight scratch from moving your fingers up and down the fretboard when pressing the strings. It's awesome.

I forgot to mention I also love trance, house and pretty much any electronic music except dubstep. Friend of mine showed me this artist/DJ called Ace Ventura. Some good ass beats

[The Laughing Man]

I love playing acoustic guitar and hearing the slight scratch from moving your fingers up and down the fretboard when pressing the strings. It's awesome.

I forgot to mention I also love trance, house and pretty much any electronic music except dubstep. Friend of mine showed me this artist/DJ called Ace Ventura. Some good ass beats

You no like wub wub?

[Sorikai33]

Let's see... I'm open to any kind of music, but my favorite (currently anyway) is techno/electronic and pretty much all the sub-genres that encompasses. I used to listen to rock/metal almost exclusively, but that was just a phase and has since dwindled significantly (but I do still enjoy it). I also enjoy orchestral music a lot, although almost all of it is game/movie soundtracks. And I've also found the music I enjoy the most are ones that overlap these genres, such as symphonic metal.

So what does that say about me? Hmm... well, I really don't know. But the question is now in my head, and I'm sure I'll continue thinking about it until I have a semblance of an answer. I'll come back to this thread.

[Nobodyman]

Just pondering the implications of this thread title. You're not just asking what kind of music we listen to, but what our music preferences say about us, as a person?

Well, to start, for most of my life thus far I've only been exposed and listened to pop and classical music. Fantasia was a huge part of my childhood, dating back to my toddler years, so I've always had a deep-rooted love of classical music. I'll admit that interest has waned somewhat, but I still truly appreciate the musical stylings of the old school masters and I often listen to the classical station on the radio.

Now, as for pop music, yeah, I liked and listened in passing to pop songs as much as the next guy, but I was never an album kid growing up (I was more into TV and video games). Maybe it's because I never had a Walkman or Boombox or whatever, but I didn't really ever even own an album until middle school where I discovered my first and still true love, They Might Be Giants. I fell in love with their fun and vibrant music, often with nonsensical lyrics. I'd never heard anything like it before. Shortly after I discovered Weird Al Yankovic and, believe it or not, I think he gradually opened the doors to a larger world of music for me. Yes, I was familiar with a lot of the songs he parodied, but I was also interested in the ones I didn't know. This led to the discovery of some of my favorite bands like Foreigner (laugh all you want Zeph), Yes, Metallica, and Duran Duran whose Reflex may be my favorite song of all time. I think this was around high school where I truly wanted to explore and expand my music interest, and I really got into the rock and hard rock scene. Again, I really dug the vibrancy and liveliness of the bands. Slower songs I usually wasn't too keen on.

But anyway, skip to present day where I've listened to every single Beatles album and I understand and there's still so much about music that I don't understand and haven't heard. They Might Be Giants is still my favorite with Duran Duran, ELO, Journey and The Beatles coming in close behind. So, with these being my favorite bands, I've determined that, I suppose, the thing I like most about them is, once again, the liveliness, vibrance, and nonsensical joy of them. But, of course, I myself am not really a lively or crazy guy, at least not when people are watching. So I guess I enjoy music as a way of sating my need for fun and nonsense.

So what does that say about me as a person? That beneath my quiet exterior is a party animal waiting to get out? Or maybe Duran Duran and TMBG's lyrics could say that I'm an experimental open-minded guy? Well, I dunno. As I said, there's still so much for me to explore, and really, while I said I prefer vibrant and fast, I'm open to all kinds of music.

Like which just...stylistically synergizes with you?

*sigh* Couldn't you just ask which one we like better?

At any rate, I'm kind of surprised, but I'm actually gonna go with A.

But that reminds me, I need to pick up Pink Flag at some point.

[Wagomu]

The music I listen to says nothing about me. Perhaps why I find it so interesting... Music for me is a very foreign concept. I remember back in elementary school thinking "what is the worth of music?" Perhaps it doesn't feed the hungry or clothe the naked, but it keeps me alive. I am no musician. Not an ounce of musical talent lies within me. And I'm fine with that. I wouldn't give up my dreams of super science for anything. As such, music is more of a mystery to me than the world itself is. It stands in a place far away from me and signals its experiences in glorious semaphore. When you're staring down at the big picture, it's easy to lose sight of your place in it, no matter how insignificant it may be. Music reminds me that I am just a human and that I need to live life, too. It also reminds me of my responsibilities in this world. I need to do what I can to keep it going, if only to continue hearing the sweet sounds of music.

That's all a bunch of hoo hah, but such is the nature of personal philosophy.

[Hiroy]

hahah These are the best kinds of musical experiences! :D Sometimes a song just fits and it feels like the soundtrack to your life.
Similar to this I have certtain songs that remind me of a certain event or even a whole summer, and all it takes to throw me back there is to listen to the song in an unexpected moment. The human brain works in mystrious ways.

Soundtrack of my life? A theme that makes me seem like a total troll? Totally.
During my first job, I made up this song about life being a huge roller-coaster ride.
With the actual job being the cars slowly ascending, leaving being the huge exiting drop, and the drive home being the rest of the ride with all its twists and turns.
I forgot the lyrics though. You can say I was really into entertaining myself since I well... didn't have any time for myself.

Wish I had some songs to recall myself within an occasion though. And no. Christmas does not count.
Curious. What were the songs that reminded you so much of an entire summer. My summer has been a bit boring so far, so maybe you can amuse me :)

Perhaps I may look like more of a douchebag than I usually do, but I enjoy driving or riding around with friends and playing loud music, usually rap. I don't know, I know some people like to relax while driving, but I'm the other way around. I'd be listening to 2pac or Dr. Dre or even Drake or Tyler the Creator or Childish Gambino or Deltron 3030. Completely different kinds of rap, but I'd be listening to it all.

Dude. Ever since that moment, I have nothing but respect for people that do this now.
Life's too short to worry about others looking at ya like a douche.

I'll admit, I don't really know about the different kinds of rap... or care. Whatever comes out of the radio and sounds good is good enough for me. Main problem with this? Sometimes I like a song so much, I have trouble recalling the artist so I can listen to it on my own time. So yeah, I've never been actually been "a fan". Just an avid listener. It's pretty much why music does not say very much about me.

[Monkey King]

But that reminds me, I need to pick up Pink Flag at some point.

Have you listened to the Ramones or Clash yet? Pink Flag is cooler when you're a bit more familiar with basic punk. Because it's all about making that basic punk a little weird.
Wire's next two albums are awesome too. Especially 154 (the song I posted is from there). By that point they're full on Post-Punk.

[Smudger]

Apparently it says I want a slow death >.>

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EL3pP29N-Wc

[Steven D. Teach]

I listen to a lot of Tom Waits, and I think it has a lot to do with how much I drink.