Broadening my horizons
Sep 14, 2005 11:45:13
So, on this eternel quest to figure out exactly who this "Zita" character really is, I often find myself drawn to trying to think outside my proverbial "box". This harder than it sounds, since often I am not aware of just how much the walls of my box cage me into certain ways of thinking and interacting. Certain behaviors, mannerisms, and beliefs strike me as foreign and odd since they are not my own. It is difficult to remember that just because a certain way of life is strange to me, it doesn't make it wrong. It's just different.
This is something that I know to be true- but it's so much easier to know something than it is to act on it. And it's so much easier to say "I'm not judgemental" than to actually be non-judgemental, or to say "I'm open minded" than to actually be open-minded.
Let's take music for example.
I've been on a journey of discovery with music for the past year or so. It occured to me, sometime last year, that I knew very little of the form of art that I love so much. I knew, and still know, TONS of classical music (which I really think everyone should give a fair chance to- there's litterally something for everyone, I guarantee it!), and lots in terms of musicals (which make even me a little nauseous sometimes), country (I can't help it if I'm a farm-town kid...doesn't mean I like it) and the Karaoke classics (usually done rather poorly). I also know a lot of french music and still adore it. But I knew very little about popular music in general.
My quest began with the discovery of The Doors. I fell in love with The Doors long before I knew who they were because of a cover of "People are strange" that I heard in The Lost Boys movie. But it took me some time to really get to know their music- beyond the typical "we've all heard this song a million times" a la Light My Fire. I made an interesting discovery with The Doors- most of a bands best songs are never the ones that become hugely popular. This was confirmed by my falling in love with Led Zeppelin. My favorite songs are by no means the most popular. In fact, I would say that Dy'er Maker is one of their weaker songs, albeit one of the most well known. I gravitate more towards The Rain Song, Tangerine, What Is and What Should Never Be and so on...not to mention their earlier blues stuff like Dazed and Confused, Communication Breakdown and others. I then moved on to Pink Floyd, The Clash, The Ramones, Weezer, Dashboard Confessional, Nine Inch Nails, Panthera (whom I'm afraid I'm not a particular fan of), Metallica, SuperTramp, Blondie, Nelly Furtado, Eminem, Poe, PJ Harvey, Kate Bush, John Mayer and a bunch of hip hop (again, not a particular fan though I can see how it has its time and place), to name a few.
I also re-united with my long lost loves from my days of youth: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Moist, Live, Bush, Simon and Garfunkel, Leonard Cohen, the Barenaked Ladies (guilty pleasure), Rufus Wainwright, Harry Chapin (if you don't know who this if, FIND OUT- trust me on this one), Bob Dylan, Tori Amos, Ani Difranco, and so on...
My ITunes has such a diverse range of musical genres that I am constantly asked by those who share my network at work exactly what "type" of music I like. Which brings me to the point of my rant: Why do we have to continuously attempt to classify music in specific little genres and types. Shouldn't music be one of the few things that transcends box-like definitions? It's the epitome of emotional expression. Why do we have to compartmentalize it in logical and rational ways? I've never really categorized my music, so this whole thing is a very frustrating experience. I understand the need to classify eras of music, but eras generally have many defining factors that necessitate a distinct seperation (Ie: distinguishing Baroque Music from Classical Music- important distinction). But to try to break down genres that really don't differ than much from each other is pretty silly. So much music can be classified into different "categories" that it makes no sense to me to even attempt it.
And on that note, when you do attempt to classify music, it would be really, really awesome if you used terms that made sense. Categories like "Alternative" or "Emo" make very little sense. Alternative music is an alternative to what? To everything? How do you define alternative music? Silly term. And "Emo"- don't even get me started on how silly that term is. I have looked into it (I'm such a research nazi) and have found two different definitions for it. Some say that it is "Emotional Music" (wow, I had no idea that most music was so stoic!) and other call it "Emotive Hardcore"...again, terms that mean very little. So when I ask self-proclaimed Emo fans to describe it, they say "it's basically whinny punk" or "hardcore music on estrogen"- they describe it using fashion symbols such as scarves, horn rimmed glasses, and dark clothes, which has very little or nothing to do with the music. It is defined by the use of angst, sadness and anger (huh- so is a whole bunch of grunge, heavy metal and country for that matter). What it is NOT defined by (or at least HAS YET to be define to ME by...) is the music itself. No one has identified what makes it musically different from punk, or any other genre for that matter.
Is it the use of different instruments? Is it a vocal style? Is it a rythmic deviation from the norm and the stylistic use of syncopation?
I refuse to believe that an entire genre can be defined by a scarf or eye-wear. It's silly. I know that someone out there can explain to me, for real, what this music is all about. Because as a friend pointed out yesterday, when I was ranting about the same topic: "For something that you accuse of being silly and stupid, there sure are a lot Emo bands and fans out there". And he's ABSOLUTELY right. There are- but I wonder if anyone of them know "why"...and if they do, I wish to god that they will fill me in.
In the meantime, I will continue researching it myself- it will be my new all-encompassing obsession until I either a) get bored, b)find the answer or c)find a new project.
You know, it just occured to me- for someone who is so stupidly busy, I sure need a life. lol.
Okay, end rant now.
The song remains the same,
~Iridescence
