Punk
So I think I've finally figured out why I like punk rock music so much. A lot of people dont understand how I can like it, especially considering the fact that I'm a classical music (or at least a classically trained musician). And it's very true that I love classical music. But it's also very true that I can't just listen to it anymore. I can't put it on in the background while doing other things because i've been trained to analyze and think about what makes it tick, how it's being expressed, what could be better, etc. etc. etc. Which can make it very difficult to just enjoy it. I used to listen to opera a lot, especially when writing papers. I'd just put it on in the background and type away. Unfortunately I only owned a very few opera CDs and it wasn't long before I could sing along with every note (nevermind the fact that I couldn't speak the language I was singing in, as long as you get the right vowel that's really all that matters). So then I switched to jazz.
Which worked great for a while. Because as much as classical music is complicated and intricate, jazz is that to the tenth degree. And since I didnt know enough about jazz to be able to analyze it as critically as other music, I could listen to it just fine. Until I took a jazz class. And learned a lot about jazz theory (which i found way more interesting and complex than classical by the way). And one day after taking the class, I was listening to a Thelonius Monk cd that I had listened to plenty of times before, but I heard something new... a mistake! Only a small one, it hardly interrupted the flow of the song, but it was definitely there. Not only that, but I knew what the mistake was, and how it was covered. And there went my ability to just listen to Thelonius Monk. (I can now even hear various concepts I learned in that class while listening to elevator music, by the way).
So why punk rock? Here's why: It's usually very simple. A few chords, a basic beat, a very sketchy melody (often more screaming than pitch), and LOTS of energy. There, it's analyzed as much as possible. Now I can just enjoy it. Ahhhh...
Which worked great for a while. Because as much as classical music is complicated and intricate, jazz is that to the tenth degree. And since I didnt know enough about jazz to be able to analyze it as critically as other music, I could listen to it just fine. Until I took a jazz class. And learned a lot about jazz theory (which i found way more interesting and complex than classical by the way). And one day after taking the class, I was listening to a Thelonius Monk cd that I had listened to plenty of times before, but I heard something new... a mistake! Only a small one, it hardly interrupted the flow of the song, but it was definitely there. Not only that, but I knew what the mistake was, and how it was covered. And there went my ability to just listen to Thelonius Monk. (I can now even hear various concepts I learned in that class while listening to elevator music, by the way).
So why punk rock? Here's why: It's usually very simple. A few chords, a basic beat, a very sketchy melody (often more screaming than pitch), and LOTS of energy. There, it's analyzed as much as possible. Now I can just enjoy it. Ahhhh...
Comments