There are songs that make me smile. There are songs that make me cry. There are songs that energize and move me and then there are those that move me by the way they allow me to relax. Through the years, I have been exposed to many different types of music. Each has moved me in a different way, some more than others. What remains constant from genre to genre is that for better or worse each has had an impact on me and the way I have come to understand and appreciate music.
Music has been a big part of my life. I am sure it is a big part of many others lives. It is essentially the soundtrack of our lives. Everywhere we go in almost everything we do music is undoubtedly a part of it. Much like in movies where the soundtrack follows the events of the story so has the soundtrack of my life. As I was growing up I was exposed mostly to the type of music my family listened to and appreciated. Coming from a Latino Background and with parents from very different cultures (Guatemalan and Puerto Rican), I had the opportunity to listen and develop an appreciation early for music with Latin beats and rhythms. It wasn’t really much of a choice it is simply what was common place during my childhood. As I grew older, met new people and created new experiences, my musical tastes grew and evolved.
I believe that people influence us in many aspects of our lives. When we share our experiences with others and they in turn do the same we are presented with different points of view. We are afforded a different perspective on things. This does not hold true only to politics, religion, or things of that nature but also to the topic of music. As diverse as out communities are so are our musical tastes. It is through these interactions that we begin to learn about different genres, artists, and cultures that influence these diverse musical tastes. My musical taste has evolved through the years in large part due to the people that I have encountered. I now enjoy many more types of music and find that I enjoy some types more than others depending on my mood at the time, the occasion and many other variables that come into play when selecting what to listen too.
During my Junior High and High school years I was very into the music that was popular, music that received a lot of air play on the radio. This music was mostly hip-hop and R&B (Rhythm and Blues). I listened to artists like Too Short, NWA, Gucci Crew, Booby Brown, EnVogue and various others. The hip-hop I was drawn to was violent in nature and most would say very offensive. This music appealed to me because of my slight rebellious nature growing up, in addition to the exciting lifestyle it portrayed through its lyrics and music videos. The soft melodic and often upbeat R&B type of music played to the true romantic in me. When ever I felt I wanted to express a feeling to a girl I was dating or trying to anyway I was often able to convey it successfully through an R&B sound. Through the years, I was introduced to 50’s Motown music often referred to as “Oldies” and various other styles. I began to become more conservative in my choices of music. I still appreciated the old school hip-hop but I began to crave more melody, more feeling, and more meaning in the lyrics of the music I listened too.
Today, I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of music. My taste of music spans the gamut of genres. My musical library would not readily reveal a specific taste or preference. I could not easily be identified as a fan of any one specific type of music. In my library you will find music from such artist like Jack Johnson (Indie Rock), Ghetto Boys (Old School Hip-Hop), Kenny Rogers, (Country) Metallica (Heavy Metal), Otis Redding (Motown) and Dora the explorer, okay the last one is for my daughter but hey those are some good songs too.
Earlier I spoke about how music is the soundtrack of my life. There are different songs for different moments. Like the song popularized by Donnie and Marie on their 1976 Television Variety show “A little bit country. A little bit rock ‘n roll,” sometimes I feel a little bit country and sometimes a little bit rock ‘n roll. My choices in music these days seem to mimic what a feel. When I am excited, happy and full of energy, I will listen to a little Metallica, it helps get the adrenaline flowing. When feeling a little down and in low spirits, I gravitate towards Jack Johnson or Jason Mraz. I feed the moment with what it hungers. If there is any pattern that can be identified through my choice in music is not simply through my library of music but through the frequency and timing of my selections. The pattern that I would say could be easily identified would be a love and appreciation for music from the past rather than that of the present. I could easily be identified as a very nostalgic person and my musical choices would attest to that after all music is my time machine and I often love to revisit the days gone by.
