@mrmexico25 Said 
When people listen to music, nine times out of ten they're listening to the wrong things. People associate themselves with a particular style or sound of music, and in effect "hear what they want to hear".
I've been reading a lot of posts lately about people obsessing over bands like Evanessence, MCR, The Used, etc...
These bands have little, to zero talent what-so-ever. As a matter of fact, they're products of demographics (the same argument used a lot of the times for the author of the Twilight saga) - produced and targeted towards a certain audience. The fact that these bands, as well as others of course, make any money at all is bewildering. Many people think that this is "my own opinion" and I "shouldn't tell people what to listen to", but it isn't. These are facts. The Jonas Brothers, for example, are some of the worst musicians and "song writers" ever, yet they sell millions of albums due to their Disney relations and 10 year old fan base. This is how it allllll starts.
When most people listen to music, the first thing they listen for is lyrics, and if they can somehow relate to them. Personally, lyrics should not be considered a part of music. Rarely do lyrics add anything of technical or musical support to the song. Voice, however is something completely different. Ones voice, tone and pitch is what adds musical support to the song, not the words coming out. You can sing la la la la laaaa as your chorus, and if it sounds good it'll accomplish just as much as saying something, in effect, nothing at all.
Also, what people listen to while determining if the song is good or not is if its catchy. Most people now days are tying to broaden their horizons by staying away from mainstream music, there by not giving into the whole "pop" sensations. Pop doesn't necessarily refer to Brittney Spears or Jonas Brothers style in music, but more in the songs ability to be catchy. This applies to ALL genres. Punk, in this sense can be pop. Jazz, in this sense can be pop. Catchy-ness is not a determining factor in if a song is good, it simply applies to pop sensibilities. If you don't understand music for what it really is - tempo, time signature, motifs, chord progressions, keys, etc... - then you're listening to the wrong things. Until you get educated, you wont change, and you won't appreciate music for what it really is.
I agree with some of what you said. I don't think there's anything wrong with bands like MCR who do write for a specific demographic, music is a business afterall. However I do agree that although lyrics can be important in a song, some of the best music I've ever heard has been by a band who use the voice as just another instrument, rather than using it as the main part of the music.
I think everyone understands music in a certain way though. I see some of it through looking at the tempo, chord progressions,etc because that's what I'm trained to do when looking at a piece of music before I play it, plus if you study music then you're going to have to look past the obvious things sometimes. But then again I also focus on the lyrics with other types of music, it depends. That's not to say that the obvious things don't matter though, it's just how you understand the music you listen to. The great thing about music to me is that people can listen to the same piece of music and each take away something different from it.
Nov 25, 2009 @ 02:15:38
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