The Influence of Surroundings on Our Musical Taste

We take sounds and create the music we hear every day. Our development on music is effected by people around us. We take the context of songs and relate it back to our own lives. People dislike certain types of music because they can’t relate or enjoy the sound. Although music affects us all differently, all melodies have a similar meaning. Everyone’s choice of music is greatly affected by influences. The genre we get into is all caused for the same reasons; family, friends, or social environments.

Music, as a pattern of sounds, has a huge influence on the mood and well-being of a person. Even animals and plants can be calmed or excited by the sound. Some tunes can help us relax, other cheer us up. Some of the musical compositions we like almost instinctively, others aren’t as pleasant to us but may fascinate someone else. In any case, there are a few people completely indifferent to the music.

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Music appears in our life long before we are actually born. Our first “tune” is a beating of mother’s heart, rhythmic and soothing. Some psychologists claim that our love for rhythm and music emerges from this prenatal experience as a try to recreate it. The second our song is a lullaby, often wordless, sung for us by mother or grandma. Often, the only thing from the infancy people remember is the tune of a lullaby. We can start singing to our kids the family lullaby without even knowing it is one.

The Influence of the Environment on the Choice of Music Genre

A child who has grown up in the country might be exposed to mostly country music, while a child in the city might be used to rock or new pop music on the radio. We all come to enjoy the music our parents played in our early life but as we grow up we add our own genre of music. The genre of music you choose mostly places you in a similar group of friends. For example someone who listens to mostly all country probably won’t fit in as well with the kids who listen to metal. The friends who listen to metal judge that person who listens to country.

The influences will change a person to fit in with the crowd or cause someone to create their own group. The pressure puts labels on all people for the genres they listen to. If you listen to scremo, you might be considered gothic or country might be labeled as hicks. What people don’t realize is every song is composed of beats, and the instruments is what changes the sound of a song. Where we live and the people surrounding us, affects our influence on music. Every sound we hear creates different moods and emotions.

Music as a Part of Our Lives

People can all relate music to a personal experience, but that experience is very diverse for each person. When we hear a song about love some can be excited and relate that song to their own relationship or someone can be upset and think about their past love. Music almost makes you feel like you can travel back in time. We all have a moment when we listen to a song, and that melody creates a mental image of where you were when you first listened to it. You can see that moment and feel the emotions you felt in the past.

Music creates memory, and each memory creates emotion in our life. We enjoy listening to music because it gives us a good vibe. That feel good moment is the reason why we appreciate music. Many listeners also enjoy a song because of the simple lyrics to follow. Everyone uses music for some type of therapy. We listen to songs so we can vent, relax, dance, or reminis. One song can have a great affect on each individual differently. We loathe on music just because it’s something we don’t like. Everyone has a different music preference, and we all like music for the same reason.

We all enjoy the way music makes us feel. Music is all around us and is a part of our life, but why do people continue to despise certain genres? Most people look at the basic parts of a song, only the lyrics; they don’t appreciate the sound behind the words. Without that sound we wouldn’t have a song to enjoy. All Sound is music, whether it’s listening to a clock tick or a fan spinning on the ceiling, we can create our own tunes. The song Too Close by Alec Clare is a perfect example of how listeners can have such disgust with one genre but will accept a song.

The song has a catchy raw beat that people love without even realizing the genres in the song. The song Too Close was a very popular song for all ages or genres because Alex Clare mixed alternative rock, electronic, and soul music. So many people who like rock can’t stand electronic music because it’s repetitive, has less lyrics, and it’s not “real” music. Yet rock and electronic is similar in many ways. They both have a repetitive chorus and verse and made up of different sounds. Rock can have long solos along with electronic.

So when Alex Clare created the song Too Close many people never realized he combined different genre types. Many people disagree with certain music because they dont recognize the connection all music has. Each genre has a comparable meaning, but holds a different impact on people. Our social environment molds us into the music we listen to. Music also allows us to feel every emotion. We can all listen to the same song but have a totally different outlook on the concept behind the song. Our different personalities cause individuals to dislike any type of song they cannot connect to.

The power of music is as large as one individual makes it to be, it can be a seemingly endless void of influence and understanding or as insignificant as the dust in your attic.

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” With this statement, Plato, a famous philosopher, recognized the importance of music. Music is a crucial part of all human cultures.