It seems that in this day and age, people are increasingly polarized in their views. Whether it’s about sports, politics, religion, or music, you’re either on their team or not. This division has likely always existed, but it appears to be more prevalent now, perhaps magnified by the rise of social media.
Recently, I had a couple of interesting conversations with Simon and David—both friends and students—in the lead-up to Christmas. These conversations, along with another situation, got me thinking about how this polarization affects not just learning but life in general.
The Soundtrack of Our Lives
In music, a lot of what we like is often instilled during our teenage years and into our early 20s—the soundtrack of our lives, the good old days. Some people never want to move beyond this period to explore anything else. It’s as though if we listened to, or heaven forbid, liked anything outside our soundtrack, all the music we love would disintegrate. For some, it’s almost like treason or sacrilege.
I have great memories of the music I grew up listening to and loving. It had such an impact on me that I made a career out of it. Great music with great memories attached.
Embracing the Past and the Present
My soundtrack not only included the music of my day but also the days gone by. In my childhood, TV brought black-and-white movies into the living room, along with the great musicals and the music of the ‘Great American Songbook,’ for lack of a better term. This is why these great melodies are still so familiar to me—they're stuck in my head, for better, definitely not worse.
However, keeping an open mind to new music is not always easy. I find some of today's pop music bland, but that’s always been the case. While I do listen to new music from artists and genres I like, a lot of it seems a bit stale.
Maybe rock, in particular, has become a bit of a parody of itself—the same songs, the same acts, with ever-increasing ticket prices. Nostalgia has become an expensive addiction, a déjà vu.
The Value of an Open Mind
To grow as a musician, it's important to look back and understand where something came from. Nothing is created in a void. It's also crucial to stay open to new music, new ideas, and to challenge your thinking. Look outside the box and discover something new. Investigate new (or new-to-you) players and genres.
Over the Christmas break, I listened to a lot of podcasts and found a new appreciation for some of the metal guys and the shredders. While it will never be a great love, I can now listen more appreciatively than before. The depth that some of these players have in their craft is inspiring. Areas of music and players I had previously closed off opened up for me.
The Missed Opportunity
As for the situation I mentioned earlier—let’s just say I missed seeing someone that I now would love to have seen. I’m kicking myself about it. My mind was closed pre-podcast and before a bit of YouTube investigation.
The Moral of the Story
So, the moral of the story is this: open your mind. There’s a whole other world of music, opinions, and ideas out there. It doesn’t mean you have to agree with or like them, and it certainly doesn’t devalue your past experiences and memories.
What’s to lose?
