Music

Music has an interesting place in our society. It's something that unifies people from many different ways of life and gives them a common ground to bond over. It can also be very polarizing for those same people.

I like to think that I have a very open mind when it comes to music, and that the music that I listen to on a regular basis is fairly eclectic. My iPod, when on shuffle, is almost as likely to go from "Chop Suey" (System of a Down) to "Landed" (Ben Folds) as it is from "Kids" (MGMT) to Mahler's 3rd Symphony.

A while ago I posted a link on my Facebook to a song by Mumford and Sons called "Little Lion Man" (seen below). I just found it to be an amusing song with a unique style to it. It's by no means on the same artistic level as songs like Parker's "Anthropology" or Monk's "Round Midnight", it still fills a spot for me in my music listening needs.

I don't need to constantly be thinking at a high level about my music. Sometimes I just want something simple that is going to be relaxing and easy to listen to.  I have the ability to analyze magnificent symphonies, dissect critiques, and talk intelligently on the choices of using a secondary dominant as a pivot point to shift to a new key (yes this all sounds very stuck up I know).  This doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the strumming of a banjo and the sounds of an Englishman singing folk music.

Music is not exclusive.  It isn't something where you can only be a fan of one genre.  In my opinion music listening would get far too boring if that were the case.

In any case, music is personal preferences.  While I may find a song fantastic and something I could listen to over and over again, another person might think it's the worst bit of aural drivel ever created by mankind.  Awesome.  I'm glad to hear you have a strong viewpoint on this, but don't come crying to me when I call your whiny repetitive Justin Bieber song utter crap.  It's just my opinion, and I'm allowed to have it.