Have you hidden behind the boundaries of a single music genre
all your life? Is your CD collection boring and scarce? Have you
started to notice that all the music that's commercially successful
seems like variations on a single theme--a theme that you're
getting tired of? Here's how to offer your ears a new and
ever-changing menu of music.
Steps
- Listen to Internet radio stations. Forget standard radio.
Browse all kinds of stations--international, trip hop, electronica,
alternative, death metal, soundtracks, etc. Let them play in the
background while you browse the Web, answer e-mails, etc. If you
hear a song you like, write down the title, album, and artist.
- Browse music stores online. Type in the name of a band or song
that struck you and listen to samples of all their albums and
songs. Check out related artists (often mentioned in editorial
reviews and the recommendation section) too. Find out what music
genre the song or musician(s) you're interested in fall into, and
shop by genre.
- Ask interesting people what they listen to. You know that guy
on the bus who wears a trenchcoat, eyeliner, and fingerless gloves?
Next time you see him bobbing his head to his DiscMan, ask him what
he's listening to. Either he'll think you're rude, or, more likely,
he'll be delighted at the chance to share his musical taste with
someone who's actually curious. Instead of asking people how
they're enjoying (or not) the weather, ask them questions
like:
- What's the first CD you bought?
- What's the last CD you bought?
- If you had to choose one song to summarize your life, what
would it be?
- Has a song ever made you cry?
- If you were to make a soundtrack to your life, what would be on
it?
- Listen to whole albums. Oftentimes, an artist or group puts out
one or two singles that engage popular appeal but are
uncharacteristic of their work. And quite commonly, the jewels of
music are buried in albums, far away from radio play. So, if a
catchy single drew you in, don't be surprised and throw the CD away
if the rest of the songs aren't just like it.
- Listen to an album more than once before deciding whether you
like it or not. It's best to listen to an album three times before
you make your judgment, especially if it's a genre you don't
normally listen to. For example, if you're listening to your first
heavy metal CD, you'll probably spend the first run furrowing your
eyebrows as your ears adjust. By the second run, you might start to
feel your toes tap, and a little bit of headbanging coming on. And
by the third time around, you could very well be singing along and
listening carefully to the lyrics. You don't necessarily have to
listen to an album three times in a row--just make sure you've
given it the full benefit of the doubt before you toss it.
- Go underground. Find out who the local bands are and where they
play. Visit venues that feature independent artists. If you live
near a major city, find out where you can listen to great music
live and go there. Even if it's a group or performer you've never
heard of, and/or a type of music you don't normally like, sometimes
listening to music live can make a believer out of you and change
your listening perspective.
- Take a class in music theory. You can better appreciate music
by understanding how it works. Music has many layers, which are
difficult to recognize and enjoy without knowing what the
difference is between music and noise. In other words, listening to
music without understanding music theory is like being into cars
without having any idea what's under the hood.
- Learn to play an instrument. What better way to further your
appreciation for musical artists and the work they create than by
learning to create it yourself? Cover your favorite songs. If
you're drawn to certain songs and g
