Music? WTH?

I'm just going to come out and say it. I don't particularly care for music. Not any particular sort of music, all music.

Society seems to want to make me feel like some sort of pariah for that. Everyone I've ever known or met thinks I'm the strangest person on the planet for not liking music. Either that, or they all want to convert me, as in, "You don't like music? Oh, that's because you haven't heard [insert band name here]."

No, I just don't like music. I don't need an iPod, or a phone that's capable of storing 160,000 songs, none of which I enjoy. The radio in my car is either turned off or tuned to a news station. When I installed it, I had to borrow a CD to test the CD player, because I don't own any CDs.

Point is, I'm wondering why society is compelled to view me as some sort of pariah/loser/nutcase for not liking music.

Any insights greatly appreciated.

You're weird. But that's okay. I LOVE music, and I think that's why noise really bothers me. Barky dogs, open mouth chewers, filing fingernails; these things literally make me want to kill someone.

I don't feel particularly compelled to listen to anything, honestly. Then again, my circle of people understand that half the time I drive without the radio and the other half I act as if the late 80's was the height of musical talent.

There do seem to be people that have to have a constant sound track to their life. I am not one of them. I drove a car without a radio for years and it didn't bother me much.

I don't dislike music, I do like it, but I don't want to hear it all the time either. I like music when I want to hear it but I also can be inspired by a song I hear by chance.

When I drive the Mini to work I usually end up signing most of the 30 miles each way since the car has no radio.

EvanR wrote: Point is, I'm wondering why society is compelled to view me as some sort of pariah/loser/nutcase for not liking music.

Because a part of you is broken.

Granted this is coming from a guy who is currently surrounded by 13, nope make that 15 guitars and basses and is streaming music via another tab in the browser.

I do find it hard to believe that there isn't some style of music that doesn't flip a switch in your brain. Every culture, every tribe on the planet has a form of music. From the didgeridoo and throat chanting to classical to country/western to blues to pop and punk rock. Every taste is catered to.

I am more concerned by people who can't stand silence and have to have some background noise to function. I work with a guy now who starts to freak out if it is quiet in the shop for more than 5 minutes. He doesn't care what he listens to, but it has to be something. Unfortunately he is so neurotic about it that the music is generally in his control so I have to listen to a lot more 80's spandex and foofy hair "metal" than anyone should be exposed to.

Tried anti-music? I don't get that stuff but maybe you will. I'm not sure it'll make you seem any less weird though...

Just makes you a little out of the ordinary, but there's nothing wrong with that.

You're viewed as if you're a weirdo because you're a weirdo. I think that about sums it up. It's like someone with a bunch of tats, piercings, and a mohawk wondering why she gets stared at.

I'd rather be around someone who doesn't like music than someone who likes "popular" music. If it's down to silence or trash, I pick silence.

friedgreencorrado wrote: If it's down to silence or trash, I pick silence.

you have no soul. are you a ginger?

I still like music but I've been touring the world in rock bands for the last 20 years so I tend to not listen to music when I'm not making it. I almost never listen to music in my cars. My daily doesn't even have a radio and I listen to talk radio when i drive my f350.

dabird wrote: I still like music but I've been touring the world in rock bands for the last 20 years so I tend to not listen to music when I'm not making it. I almost never listen to music in my cars. My daily doesn't even have a radio and I listen to talk radio when i drive my f350.

Aha, perhaps this. I am in the entertainment industry as well and have been subjected to far too much music in the last 25+ years.

I very rarely listen to music while driving. Hour and a half of talk radio gets me caught up on what's going on in the world so I don't have to watch it on TV.

poopshovel wrote: I very rarely listen to music while driving. Hour and a half of talk radio gets me caught up on what's going on in the world so I don't have to watch it on TV.

This for me too.

For me it depends on my mood. Driving, sometimes silence is golden. Sometimes talk radio and news to keep me awake. Sometimes rock, classical, blues, country, whatever. Sometimes it's just background noise, sometimes it's rattling the mirrors.

To the OP, yep, you're weird. So are the rest of us though so I wouldn't worry about it.

Maybe you just need to listen to...

rotard wrote: You're viewed as if you're a weirdo because you're a weirdo. I think that about sums it up. It's like someone with a bunch of tats, piercings, and a mohawk wondering why she gets stared at.

That drives me crazy. If you don't want to be stared at, don't do things that scream "I want attention!" Not that I have a problem with tats or piercings or Mohawks, but you don't get them if your not trying to stand out.

Joey

Joey

Anti-stance wrote:

poopshovel wrote: I very rarely listen to music while driving. Hour and a half of talk radio gets me caught up on what's going on in the world so I don't have to watch it on TV.

This for me too.

I use GRM for that. Seriously.

The only.person I've ever met who doesn't like music at all was an shiny happy person of a navy sniper.

dabird wrote: I still like music but I've been touring the world in rock bands for the last 20 years so I tend to not listen to music when I'm not making it. I almost never listen to music in my cars. My daily doesn't even have a radio and I listen to talk radio when i drive my f350.

I once heard an interview with Chrissie Hynde where she said the music was seriously important to her when she was young, but as she aged she just thought of it as a pretty cool hobby. I guess that would explain the difference between "Precious" and "I'll Stand by You"..

friedgreencorrado wrote: ...said the music was seriously important to her when she was young, but as she aged she just thought of it as a pretty cool hobby.

I feel the same way as that. Music was soooo important to me as a teenager, now I feel like I grew out of caring. When I do listen to music now, I am not as narrow-minded and elitist as I once was. I can listen to just about all kinds of music and enjoy it. I can also not listen to a single song for 6 months and be okay with it.

I like music. Currently listening to Bad Brains.

David S. Wallens wrote: I like music. Currently listening to Bad Brains.

We got that P.M.A!

friedgreencorrado wrote:

dabird wrote: I still like music but I've been touring the world in rock bands for the last 20 years so I tend to not listen to music when I'm not making it. I almost never listen to music in my cars. My daily doesn't even have a radio and I listen to talk radio when i drive my f350.

I once heard an interview with Chrissie Hynde where she said the music was seriously important to her when she was young, but as she aged she just thought of it as a pretty cool hobby. I guess that would explain the difference between "Precious" and "I'll Stand by You"..

this is pretty much exactly what happened to me. I think like anything else once something you really love becomes a job or seems like work it starts to lose it's luster. I do find myself listening to music more these days now that I'm older and not touring as much. It really doesn't effect me in the same way anymore though. Being in a band has made me overly critical of music. I'm never just listening anymore. I'm always thinking about how the guitar tone sucks or how the could have gone to the chorus earlier. It's really kind of a bummer