Categorizing music is like raising walls between people

We all do it, even if we don’t know it…why?

When I get on the train, I always put my headphones on. Nothing is more relaxing than listening to the music I want, the music that makes me who I am and represents how I feel. Sometimes, the music I am listening to is not what we call “trending” and, as a result, if a 15-year old is close enough so to hear the deep bass sounds, or the screams of a speed metal band front-man, it’s almost sure that a face of disapproval will appear, trying desperately to judge me for my “strange” or even “weird” tastes. It’s funny, but it is part of my life inside these socially-awkward moving box with wheels. Why ,though, is this 15-year old music lover so strict and expressive as regards his/her music taste?

• Some people tend to search for others with the same music taste.

They are afraid of new things that they, themselves, have not discovered. It is a part of the human nature after all. That’s why, when you discover a new band/artist/genre you either go mental and try to share it with your friends (it’s really annoying and you know it), or you wait until someone else does it, so that you know you are not alone. But, if someone else tries to convince you to “listen to this awesome song” he/she just discovered, you usually avoid sharing the same amusement.

• There is also a group of people who, due to their lack of confidence, accept whatever the majority, or their friends prefer at the moment.

Personally, I believe it is not only the lack of confidence, but, most importantly, the lack of music education that forces members of this group to not actually understand what music is all about. In addition, music education is highly underestimated in schools, so it is safe to say that this group is becoming the majority. As a result we are left with a world of “musically-not-educated”, waiting to consume commercialized music, like baby birds in their nests waiting for their mother(the infamous music industry) to fill their mouths with lyrics about “that booty” or “that ass” and a wannabe-catchy kick and bass sound (which is surprisingly similar in every song).

• The last group, is the one that makes me, personally, angry and frustrated.

I used to be one of them as a child…I’m talking about the group of people who think that their knowledge in music is enough to understand what is the “right” music to hear. Whether you are a metal-lover or a raver, you should always accept and respect music not as a hardcore fan of what you love, but as an entity, which flows through time, places and ears, with the sole purpose of expressing one’s feelings or ideas (that is why I believe “booty” songs are a little bit too flat; producers of such songs are afraid to express what they feel).

To answer my question, this hypothetical 15-year old could be a member of any of these groups. His/Her disapproval is an expression of a feeling that we all get when something different or out of the ordinary happens; a cold, heart-breaking denial. If only people knew the importance of accepting and embracing new or different genres. In an age when everyone tries to mix different sounds, people still try to raise walls…

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