We don’t realize that by listening to music in a certain way or with a favorite style, we’re programming ourselves to create our own music. Moreover, if you listen to everything, you’ll write music in a variety of genres. But those who prefer one style will create music predominantly within that style.
You can even trace the music of any artist you know who adheres to “their own” style, and you might conclude that they mostly rely on one style.
Or consider a band that plays songs in various genres, from soul to metal. This diverse group clearly encompasses a wide range of musical genres. But neither in this nor in the previous example is this a bad thing. It’s simply my observation.
I want to start my thought with sound engineers, and then gradually move on to the topic of listening to music.
There are two not immediately noticeable categories among amateur sound engineers.
- The first ones give special importance to working on one sound. They meticulously delve into its characteristics and try to change them, thereby creating a “different” sound. They, like crazy, test equalizers to incomprehensible settings and still achieve their goal. I am closer to this category of sound wizards than the one discussed below.
- Needless to say, some sound engineers, when searching for something amazing, start turning various gadgets on and off, try a bunch of different effects, collect plugins, and turn the entire Internet upside down in search of more and more new shades of sound.
I am frugal enough to dabble in a rich spectrum of sonic colors, and frugality in this regard is a composer’s best friend. I think the strategy of “getting the most out of one sound” is a winning one in many ways. Of course, these sound wizards also have their own tricks and cool skills in working with sound. But, as they say, there’s no accounting for taste.
The same thing happens with music lovers.
We’re divided into two groups. Those who listen to only one thing (basically, a girl who listens to only one favorite artist), and those who are, as they say, omnivores (a girl who loves to listen to everything). Let’s leave the first category and the one-woman girl alone. Let’s move on to the second category.
For music lovers who enjoy a wide variety of music, alternating between different compositions will provide superficial pleasure. You enjoy listening to different tracks, different genres, and different artists, but at a deeper level, you don’t strive to listen to even one piece.
By typing various excerpts from songs, your brain is like a surfer, gliding along the waves, catching only the surface of the water, without diving deep, like a submarine. This creates a solid mess in your head. We find it difficult to pinpoint the genre we’re listening to at any given moment. And it doesn’t really matter. If you like it, so be it.
Not really.
From a psychological perspective, those who listen to a lot of different music without any discernment or specific preferences are also unreliable in relationships. Playing with such a person in a band requires a similar group. Personally, I wouldn’t keep a musician like that around for long. Not because he is bad, but because he is different. This is just my opinion.
I don’t need empty conflicts based on misunderstanding. I love to immerse myself in one piece, one genre, one artist. I analyze every sound, every note. I understand why the composer used this particular combination, what they wanted to convey, etc.
The choice, again, is yours alone: dive into the depths or glide along the waves.
What music do you listen to? Why?
Do you need to listen to music to write? Absolutely. But what exactly?
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