My Addiction to (New) Music
Posted on | March 23, 2011 | 2 Comments
I had a girlfriend once who observed this in me and pointed it out. Now that I’m aware of it, I wear it like a badge of honor. Maybe some of you are like this too and can relate:
I am in constant need of new (to me) music that inspires me. When I get a hold of a new CD (yes, I still buy CDs), the first step is to check if it satisfies the inspirational requirement (aka do I “like” it). If it does, it enters a heavy rotation until I know every single second of it like it’s part of my DNA. I internalize it until I can air-drum the whole thing; until I’m singing in key the first part of the next track during the silence between tracks; until I’ve learned all of the mixing magic (aka “ear candy”) through repeated headphone listens; until I hear the lyrics in my head and discover how they relate to me… until I know the album on the most personal of levels.
Shortly after I reach that point, the feeling of deprivation returns, like a heroin addict who needs a fix, and I’m back in search of new music. I’ve honestly gone through periods of a somewhat depressed state when I couldn’t find music, new or not-new, that challenged me and the vast library of music that I have heard since I’ve been alive (that’s not meant to be snobby, I’ve just listened to a lot of music). During that time, it’s almost painful to listen to anything, which sounds a bit disrespectful when what I’m listening to is music that was once new to me. But that music is already a part of me, and it’s the need for evolving creativity that cries for satisfaction.
I believe it is this constant search for artistic creation (of all kinds) that drives me, and humanity in general, to learn, grow and improve. Stagnation doesn’t do much for us — we thrive while evolving. It’s this acknowledgement that gives me the confidence to prevent “settling.” It also shows me that we can, and should, demand integrity. I can’t accept watered-down attempts, and in my opinion, neither should you. Artistic expression (music, visual art, food, writing, etc.) should not be safe. It should push boundaries and take us out of our comfort zone, reminding us of what we are capable of. That’s where we learn the most, and no matter what your belief about existence and why we are all here, I think we can agree that learning is never a bad thing.
Who’s with me?
Comments
2 Responses to “My Addiction to (New) Music”
Leave a Reply
Discography & Lyrics
Connect
Purchase
March 23rd, 2011 @ 7:26 pm
Where in between the cyle of looking for new music – enjoying (or learning?) do you place the creative process? I mean, don’t you think one should once in a while stop listening to the outside and take care of what that our inspiring experience (listening to music, watching a film, visiting galleries, reading a good book, having a conversation, etc.) triggers in them and create from it? “Learning is never a bad thing”, stopping to learn, once in a while, and create from lessons learned might give far more value to the whole process, don’t you agree?
Thanks for sharing.
March 23rd, 2011 @ 8:00 pm
I definitely agree that taking inspiration and transforming it into creation is quite important, and in fact you might call it the goal or climax of the process, but I wouldn’t assume to put it in any one place. There have been times when I’m knee-deep in an influx of new music and I’ve felt compelled to write while still openly accepting more new music. I don’t believe you necessarily have to stop listening or ignore outside influences in order to create, but if you need the separation to focus, that makes sense too.
The brilliance of creation and the creative process is that we all experience it in different ways, and yet we share a connection to the product or outcome of our creating. If you ask me, I say there are no rules for how to go about it, but it does help to try new things when you start to feel stagnant. Isolation, immersion, whatever it takes to stimulate and encourage whatever you need to experience from the creative process.
Thanks for reading and for commenting, Joel!!