Stereotypes

Elementary set theory partitions humankind into four groups:

  • Narrow-minded people who only listen to classical music.
  • Narrow-minded people who only listen to popular music.
  • Rare enlightened beings who enjoy both classical and popular music and write blog articles about how superior they are to others.
  • Philistine barbarians who don't really care about music.
(Thus, I manage to offend and alienate the entire audience of this blog before even reaching the second paragraph.)

Poohpoohers of classical music claim that classical music is boring and it all sounds the same and is only good for background music (if that). Many people think classical music is just for snooty pretentious people who don't know how to have fun. Then there are those who claim they like classical music because it's relaxing and soothing and nice to fall asleep to. I reckon those people would really love chloroform.

Naysayers of popular music, on the other hand, claim that popular music is boring and it all sounds the same and is only good for background music (if that). Some will go on to imply that popular music is made by stupid people for stupid people, whereas classical music is actually "art" which can be "appreciated".

To say that I disagree with either of these opinions would be somewhat dishonest. In fact, I happen to think that both groups of people are almost right. I find the vast majority of classical music to be boring — just as I do the vast majority of popular music.

But obviously I'm not starting a blog just to talk about how boring music is. Music is a huge part of my life — listening to music, playing music, creating music. I devote a significant portion of my time seeking out new music to listen to. And yes, most new music that I try out turns out to be uninteresting or distasteful to my ears. But it's worth sifting through all of that rubbish to find those rare specimens of music which set my spine tingling, or fill my blood with adrenaline, or inebriate me with their gorgeousness. Music that makes me feel.

I'm not saying that most music is bad and that I only listen to the good stuff. In general, if music is out there for people to hear, it's probably because it appeals to someone. Everyone just needs to find out what music speaks to them — and it won't always be the type of music you expect. Sure, it's nice and safe to stick with genres you know, but if you never explore new areas, you'll never have that experience of being dumbstruck by something different to anything you've heard before, that can affect you in completely novel ways.

Thus, to the poohpoohers I would like to say, classical music is not all dandy string quartets and fat women with wobbly voices. And to the naysayers, popular music is not just Britney Spears or the Backstreet Boys. Don't dismiss a vast and enormously varied world of music just because of that tiny sample of it which the world has presented to you on television or on the radio or in bars or in elevators.

Q: Are you suggesting that all music can be categorised as classical or popular? What about, for example, jazz?
A: Who cares. All jazz is inane and boring.

TV on the Radio: A Method

Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine

The Shortwave Set: House of Lies

Schnittke: Credo (from Requiem)

Battles: Rainbow

Lutosławski: Symphony no. 3

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

So which set do I fit into as I am one who listens to music rarely because I would rather make it?

Recently I did listen to a fantastic new EP by Jesper Dahlback. Great analog swedish techno. For some eye opening research I would suggest you hang out with people who collect vinyl records. Now there's a bunch of very passionate music lovers who can identify all the stolen components in a lot of pop songs (uncannily so) and also who played those components and within which group of what year and who produced it in which studio. Good grief Charlie Brown.

Mmm, chloroform. Oh yeah, best pick up line ever:

"Does this smell like Chloroform to you?"

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