Skip to main content

Music in Our Lives

Hello all!  It's been a few days since I've written.  Andrew and I went to a 2Cellos concert in Pittsburgh yesterday.  It was very nice to get out of the house and out of town for a bit!  Plus, the concert was really good, and I enjoyed our time together.  It seems, with so much work, that we don't always get that kind of time anymore.

As I was listening to the music and watching everyone around me, I realized that music is such an important part of my life.  Nearly every stage of my life has been accompanied by certain artists and songs.  Lyrics of my favorite albums were woven into my personal timeline.  I think it happens that way for a lot of people.  We hear a song and can be immediately transported, for better or worse, back in time.

I've been thinking about that a bit lately, and have also realized that, while I still love music, I don't seem to form as deep a connection to new music as the music I used to listen to, for example, in my high school and college days.  I was talking to a friend about this the other day (he's much younger and still has time for concerts!) and warning him to find all the music he can now!  The reason being: an article I once read about the Music Nostalgia phenomenon.  Why do we often have a select group of songs and artists that, once we find, stay with us forever?  And why do they usually occur earlier in our lives?

Well, I couldn't find the exact article for this post, but I did find one that explains it a bit if you are interested.  It seems that many of the same hormones that make us insane as teenagers, also help us become one with the music of that time.  The downside to this, to me, is that we'll never have that same kind of attachment to music again.  As this article states:
As fun as these theories may be, their logical conclusion—you’ll never love another song the way you loved the music of your youth—is a little depressing. It’s not all bad news, of course: Our adult tastes aren’t really weaker; they’re just more mature, allowing us to appreciate complex aesthetic beauty on an intellectual level. 
So, if, like me, you find yourself wondering why there doesn't seem to be as much good music in the world like there used to be, we may have found the answer.  I, for one, however, will keep trying to find great new music…sometimes the journey alone is worth it.

What do you think of this theory?  Do you find yourself finding great new music that you feel is part of you like you used to?  I'm interested to know others' thoughts on the topic!

Comments

  1. Ann SchroederFebruary 20, 2016 at 2:55 AM

    This is absolutely my experience. I lived and breathed music in college. It got me through life. Although I still find songs I love, it's not the same. I don't need it in the same way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. WilliamFebruary 20, 2016 at 7:40 PM

      Yeah, I kind of hate that! Music used to be what really could push me when I needed the push. It was an emotional release for anything that I was bottling up. And now, it's totally background when it's on to the things that I do. While I think I'm more stable not having wild emotional mood swings like I used to lol, I do kind of miss the passion that was there…for better or worse lol

      Delete
  2. Sarajo WentlingFebruary 22, 2016 at 7:13 AM

    This makes sense to me and reflects my own experiences too. Maybe this sounds strange, but I feel like part of it might be the way that albums (or cds) aren't as big of a deal today as they used to be. It seems like it's all about the singles these days instead of the cohesive album. Does that make any sense or am I just being an old codger? ;) With the music of my younger days, I'll hear a song and expect the next tune to be the next one on the album... lol.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My First Entry

Hello All, This is, hopefully, the start to my blogging life!  You see, my partner, Andrew ( andrew-thornton.blogspot.com ) is doing a 30-day artistic challenge.  So, since blogging is something that I think may be useful to me, I figured I'd take the time to try a 30-day blogging exercise.  I'm expecting my friends to hold me accountable for the next 30 days, too! I'm not sure what this first entry should be about really, so let me just tell you a bit about myself. I was born in a small town in Pennsylvania.  I really grew up in a wonderful place for kids.  We didn't have many neighbors around, but my brother and I really had a lot of open spaces and even a lake (very large pond) in our backyard at our disposal.  I mostly remember good things about my childhood.  For the most part, I liked school.  I liked learning (and still do).  I grew up thinking that I was going to be a lot of things in life.  I first wanted to be a Chef (my,...
19 comments
Read more

Defining Objects

I once read a GQ article as a youngster that talked about defining objects.  It was an article that really hit home at the time that I read it, and one that, to this day, still makes so much sense to me.  I wish I still had the article, or even knew where I could find it.  Believe me, I've tried.  But, the point of the article was that for many of us, we bring ourselves close to things that define us.  That is, things that show the world who and what we are.  The article concluded by giving an example of the author standing in line behind a gentleman whose suit was tattered and appeared that he had a fairly hard life up until this point.  But, as the author looked over this gentleman, his glance came upon his shoes.  They were immaculate.  Brown leather.  Wingtips.  Polished and well taken care of.  This was one of the things that this gentleman held on to and kept up to show the world who he really was.  He was sophistica...
11 comments
Read more

It's Not Just a Store…

Good Evening Everyone! It's been a busy weekend.  I hope that everyone is enjoying Valentine's Day.  Andrew and I are postponing our Valentine's Day until Tuesday when we're going to a concert in Pittsburgh.  Nonetheless, I hope your day was special.  I think no matter what, it's a good time to remember to love yourself and to love those around you.  I celebrated many of these days without a significant other.  And with or without, it's really just about love…everywhere. Anyway, back to the title of my post.  It's been a busy weekend.  We're always busy doing things, but with Andrew's 30-Day Creative heART Challenge , I've been filling in at the store seven days a week instead of the normal six.  And, he's been so into this challenge that I rarely see him even emerge from his studio room.  There are a lot of great things happening.  So, it's been nonstop for us both. Also, we're taking the time to totally renovate our online s...
8 comments
Read more