SOMETIMES IT IS HARD TO PUT SOMETHING INTO WORDS. When asked to define pornography, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart couldn’t do it, but claimed “I know it when I see it.” Similarly, the great American composer Aaron Copland, on the subject of music, once offered this gem: “The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, ‘Is there a meaning to music?’ My answer would be, ‘Yes.’ And ‘Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?’ My answer to that would be, ‘No.’” Most of us are what you might call music lovers and, thankfully, there’s a vast variety of types of music to suit every taste. Sometimes, it just depends upon the mood you’re in. I listen to classical, classic rock, jazz, and sometimes even classic country. Each one of those different categories breaks down further into sub-categories, and then there are musical performers that we may prefer to others. If I feel like listening to Sinatra, for example, my spouse will leave the room. Her Eighties musical preference, on the other hand, drives me away. As far as putting into words what you like, well, that can be problematic. My answer used to be overly simplistic: if I can whistle it, it’s good music. Of course, I’ve never won a whistling contest.
Growing up in the 60's and 70's I'm partial to classic rock. I think it was the absolute best era for rock music.
But musical taste is probably a lot like political taste, everybody has there own.😁
I'm a little older than you, so my coming-of-age eras are the Fifties and the Sixties. Of those two decades, I guess I prefer the Sixties, since the Fifties tended to be a little schmaltzy.
This is what popped into my coffee limited brain this morning... LOL
There’s an old joke from the movie The Blues Brothers: “What kind of music do you usually have here?” asks Elwood.
“Oh, we got both kinds,” answers the bartender. “We got Country and Western!”
If someone asked me what kind of music I like, I guess I'd just say 'good music', realizing that good music will mean something different to each person. I do believe that some of the best music ever written is from the classic rock era of the sixties, seventies and even some in the eighties. In my humble opinion, things have gone downhill since then. Like you Henry, what I want to listen to depends on my mood, but I like pretty much all genres, with the exception of one (or two?), rap and hip-hop. Sorry folks, I'm sure I'll offend some here, but I just don't consider that music.
Terry
Hi Terry. I especially agree with your opinion of music going downhill. I'm an old man and can't relate to "hip-hop" and I don't consider "rap" to be music but, rather, rhythmic rhyming.
No need to apologize for your preferences.
Respectfully,
Mike
If a person likes music, art, hobbies, even people that I don't particularly like, they're better off than I am. There's no pleasure in disliking stuff unless it's stuff that's harmful to other folks.
Mike
Hi Mike, I've actually never quite understood the difference between rap and hip-hop, but I agree with you. They could be considered 'performance art', or maybe 'spoken word with percussion', but to me, something has to have melody to be considered music.
Terry
One of my favorite movies, and two of my favorite kinds of music. Although, I listen to just about anything other than hip hop.
I grew up during the British Invasion. The Beatles Ed Sullivan appearances got me started on my journey as a musician. I will listen to just about anything, but as a musician, I find myself more as a country player.
I agree with Terry that without melody, it's not music. Some Buddhist Monks might disagree and that's OK with me. I consider myself a musician. Not because I studied classical piano starting at four, but because I learned to "feel" the sounds that made good music and actually created some stuff that sounded pretty good. A couple friends and I had our own Doo Op group and did a decent job with the Everly Brothers stuff, the 5 Satins, Dion and the Belmonts, and others in the mid fifties. I played the piano in a ten piece band specializing in Glenn Miller type stuff.
Never made it to Carnegie Hall except in the audience but one Sunday afternoon two ladies approached me and asked me to sign their programs because they swore I was the featured violinist that day. I swore I was not; they swore I was. They showed me his picture saying, "That's not him, you are". Oh well, the price of fame.
Mike
My husband is a musician too, (bass and drums), and is still going strong at 76. He was profoundly influenced by that Ed Sullivan show as well. He's played everything from classic rock, blues, grunge, and country. My favourite band of his (back in the mid eighties) played mostly sixties rock, and leaned heavily towards Beatles. They did great four part harmonies and had a singer who could sound just like either Paul, John or George.
Terry
