As I am sitting here writing this, my roommate's music is blaring and unappealing. His music always puts me in a bad mood because it is metal: the only genre of music that I despise. On that note, music has a profound impact on the attitudes and day-to-day feelings we encounter.
The iPod (iPod referring to all mP3 players for the purposes of this) has been a revolutionary piece of technology which allows someone to listen to whatever they want, anywhere they want. This new 'anytime, anywhere' feeling that the iPod represents is what is so appealing about this hand held device. What is intriguing about the iPod is that one can develop playlists which may represent different genres of music, or are entitled by what kinds of feelings one will experience when listening to the music in that playlist. Music evokes feelings; it can brighten up our day if something that is playing reminds us of a happy childhood memory, or it can even ruin our day. How many times have you heard, "Change the song! It reminds me of my ex-boyfriend."
Music is a part of everyday life and because of this, more and more people are jumping into the iPod revolution: one in which not only the thoughts and behaviors of ourselves and others change our attitudes, but one in which music plays a key role in also.
Yesterday my friend and I were driving to her apartment and on our way their, we always listen to Journey. Why? This is because it brings about feelings of our friendship that we both feel are just between us, a special bond that we share when we are in the car together. We play Journey because it makes us happy and also because when we are listening, we know what parts each of us sings and what parts to dance to. This feeling of connectivity though music has played a key role in the maintaining and starting of many new friendships in my life.
Another way that music can influence our feelings and ultimately our lives is through the radio. We all have our favorite radio stations and we know why they are our favorites--because they play songs that make us happy and songs that we just happen to always be in the mood for. That is the way that human beings think, as cognitively social creatures in which the world is surrounding us. When the radio plays a song that I love, I think how could the radio possibly keep playing songs that are my favorites. What I am unresponsive of are the hundreds of songs that go by in my unconscious mind that provoke no feelings at all.
When I am in my car and stopped at a red light, what differentiates my thoughts between that obnoxious man who is blaring his music next to me and the person I aspire to be playing 80's music behind me? It is the music that they are playing what creates feelings of like or disgust. Another similar circumstance is when you are on iTunes and other people's shared playlists come up. When we are looking at what other people have on their iPod's, we are subconsciously evaluating them. Are we seriously judging people by what music is on their iPod?
2 comments:
I like what you said about music creating a special bond between you and your friend. I feel the same way. I have many songs that remind me a specific people. When i was little my best friend and I had a dance to "Jailhouse Rock". Songs of all sorts hold certain meanings and memories.
Definitely agree with you about songs and bonds. All songs remind me of an event in my life where I heard that song and they bring back memories.
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