How Do You Listen To Music?

 

Whether you put on your air pads for you jog or put your headphones to turn up the volume or construct an audio system with gigantic speakers trying to duplicate the blast of a concert that will get the neighbors to drive you out.

At this age, even the memories of standing next to the ‘Grateful Dead’ speakers or that night when you turned up your volume to 11, it has consequences. Many are wearing plastic amplifiers in their ears just to hear a conversation.

Playing electric guitar, I did make some noise but tried not to go away with that hum in my head. Maybe I didn’t play that loud? Lucky me.

I’ve also recorded many sounds with headphones. Again, I’ve not blasted out my eardrums trying to find that ultimate tone. Some have and paid the price.

The situation with music now is the arrangement.

I listen to all types of music. I even listen to ‘music’ I’ve made through the years. I used to sit back and just enjoy the song as performed.

There are many videos of taking popular songs apart and how they were constructed back in the time. Then it became samples that blurred how artist and engineers and producers work.

Since ‘music’ now is mostly jingles, I avoid most unless it catches my ear. When I hear a tune that wants to be repeated, I tin to take apart the song and apply (in my ear) different arrangements.

What would this sound like with horns? How about some strings? Add a chorus? More drums? More echo?

It may be engrained in me.

Those two minute pop songs that were ‘La-La-La’ and everyone hopped around to the mega concerts to lots and lots of kids pressed together in the open air fist pumping to sounds they cannot understand.

When you turn on the radio, enjoy what you hear. Remember the first time you heard “My Girl” was in your car 3” speaker.