Radio
Silence
“Crossing Genres: Something for Everyone”
By Derrick Warren
dwarren@excapethematrix.com
I have to say, my musical taste has come a long way. As a child the only thing that I can remember being played in my house was Ashford and Simpson, Luther Vandross and Patti LaBelle. I hated every minute of it. It wasn’t that I hated the music itself, but I hated hearing it so much. Because of that, I wasn’t really a music fan until I got to be about 12 or 13 years old. At that point, as far I was concerned, gangsta rap was the way to go. Nothing else would do; no slow jams, jazz and definitely no classical music.
It wasn’t until high school that a friend of mine put me down with the likes of Earth Wind and Fire, Santana, Stevie Wonder, The Brand New Heavies and Led Zeppelin. I then began to search for different styles and genres on my own. What I found was almost a whole new world and I began to understand music of all styles. I began going as far back in music’s history as I could. Classic rock, blues, jazz and even classical became staples in my CD player. I could even appreciate metal.
What I’m getting at here isn’t an “it worked for me and it can work for you” type of editorial. What I’m trying to get across is the overall benefit of not closing yourself into a musical box that’s made up of a limited range of genres. I’m in no way dictating that you are only a music lover if you listen to different types of music regularly, but if you do love music then the option should at least be explored.
As music lovers, you should feel obligated to go out there and test the waters.
This is not only directed towards the younger generation, but the older as well. Not towards the lovers of only hip-hop, but to those who see their favorite types of music as the only relevant styles around. Today, musicians are becoming more diverse in the creation of their craft. It doesn’t matter who you listen to, the influences of artists across the board reside in almost every piece of music.
As listeners of music, it is my most humble opinion that you short change yourself exponentially when you decide that something isn’t worth listening to based on its classification. For example, jazz lovers are notorious for turning their noses up to most pop and folk music. There is a sense of sophistication in their taste for Miles and Coltrane, while anything else outside of classical is seen beneath it. That being said, a number of the musicians they appreciate are lovers of the pop of their day and have turned to contemporary styles of music in order to create some their masterpieces.
What I’m trying to get across is the overall benefit of not closing yourself into a musical box that’s made up of a limited range of genres.
The reverse can be said for today. It can be argued that some of the sampled beats this generation is nodding their heads to are in turn classics from back in the day. Yet, you couldn’t get them to listen to the original song to save your life. That is the breaking point, in my opinion.
So what exactly am I getting at? What is the point of this and what am I trying to convey? It’s simple. As music lovers, you should feel obligated to go out there and test the waters. No matter what you are listening to, step out and listen to something from another spectrum. Just take into consideration the benefit you would enjoy earning. There is good and bad in every style of music; just as you would weed out the bad from your favorite, look until you find something you like. I’m not asking for hip-hop heads to go out and start buying up Iron Maiden albums. The challenge I present is simply jumping out of your comfort zone. Go somewhere different, you might just surprise yourself.
