Music And Me

I'm slowly learning about music, going backwards in time and deciding on what I like or don't like. I grew up in the silent white snows and never really noticed much music, so this is an adventure for me. Yes, it's very weird.

One problem in such an academic endeavor is that I will miss all the emotional attachments people have to the music of their youth or of other important times in their lives. All I have to go is the actual tunes and the books written about the music.

Here's my short list of current favorites: Gregorian chants, Nina Simone and old blues.

Right now I'm listening to the Beatles. So far I find their music simple, catchy and a bit chewing-gummy. Janis Joplin is more to my taste, but a musician friend told me to give it time, so I will (sorry, neighbors).

The world of popular music is largely a guys' world (as are most worlds), and I notice the references to "girl bands" as opposed to just "bands." One woman seems enough for any basic band, because the female voice is seen as an instrument which men cannot provide. That is finally changing, but not in the musical history I explore.