If you have read my previous posts, you will know that I love music and that it has been a big part of my life because of my father and remains to this day. My husband loves live music and we have been fortunate to see some amazing concerts together. I have always loved a variety of music. Growing up, we had Bengali and Hindi playing on rotation and even though I did not always understand what was being said, it never tempered my appreciation for the music. When I was in high school exploring operatic music, I had the opportunity to sing in German, French and Italian and again, felt fortunate for those experiences.
I think that is why I have been open to listening to music in general. Global music has always been a part of my musical consciousness and I have enjoyed expanding my musical ear with different influences. And as I get older, my appreciation for music, especially current music, has grown with me. To my kids’ chagrin, I love K Pop. Bad Bunny is on rotation for my playlist. I don’t understand what they are always saying, but the melody, the beats, the emotion – they come through loud and clear and I love it. Even with Indian music, I listen to Punjabi, South Indian, folk….I enjoy it all.
But I juxtapose that with my contemporaries. At our firm’s holiday dinner, I was parking at the same time one of my colleagues was exiting his car and he waited for me. As I got it, he commented in disbelief, “Were you listening to house music?” to which I cheerily responded, “Yes I was” and that was the end of the conversation. The inference was that being in my early 50s and older than him, that house music for me was no longer appropriate. I know that his vehicle was full of classical music, which I adore, but when I am arriving for a holiday event, I need something a little more upbeat – so judge elsewhere.
Post Super Bowl and Bad Bunny’s performance, I have been hearing about my contemporaries’ comments on his half time show. Again for colleagues my age or slightly younger. Comments such as
I did not understand what Bad Bunny was saying, but the year previous with Kendrick Lamar, I did not understand what he was saying, because I don’t listen to rap, so the half time shows are really not for me. But I appreciate their production value!
Or my favorite, I don’t listen to Rihanna, so again, I did not really care for her show. Let that one stew!
And yes – everyone is entitled to their opinion, but the point that I am trying to make is have we really reached that point in our life, that we cannot just appreciate the performance or music, even if we do not listen to it? Perhaps, it will result in listening to more of that artist’s music and embracing some new music. But the reality is, that is not the case.
For my contemporaries, we are at a point where the mentality is, I like what I like and I am not going to change. And the problem with that mentality is that you become closed off, not just to music, but experiences in general. It does not allow an expansion of new inspiration, influences, viewpoints or connections. And that mentality seeps into meetings and business decisions and that conclusion is not a jump but a reality. When you close yourself to allowing new experiences and influences in, you stay stuck or seeped in the past. We all are comforted by music of our past. It transports us to a time, memory or era, that gives us comfort and embraces us. But life and music, cannot always be about comfort. Sometimes you need to shake things up to grow and find new appreciation. I think that can only be a good thing. Without that mentality, I would not have discovered Doechii, Brandi Carlisle, The Marias and others. And without the mentality, I would not be embracing the new as it comes, because it is coming everyday.
But that’s just one Diva’s view.
Diva's View 