Seriously. We listen to music all the time, whether on our stereos, ipods, or telly, and when we're not listening to music we're usually humming it or whistling it, or hearing songs in our heads.
So where would we be without music in our lives? Let's have a serious discussion about how music has changed us, affected us, enriched or saddened us. What does music mean to us?
And I don't mean things like "Westlife are better than Boyzone", or "Metal rules!" It doesn't matter what music you listen to, or what other people think of your taste. You don't even have to SAY what sort of music you're into (though of course you can if you want) --- it's more what role does music play in your life, and can you imagine what life would be like without it?
On an even broader spectrum, what about how music affects the world? It's not unusual for people who are traditional enemies/rivals to come together at a concert or in appreciation of some music event. Music, the international and universal language? The one thing that gets us all thinking in the same way, gets us all talking, crosses all boundaries?
Comments?

Me - I love opera. Funny, in Italy and Germany its not snobby, so why in England? Is it because only wealthy toffs could afford it, so its a class thing? In this country we are educated to snigger at things foreign and exotic. Who could fail to be moved by Desdemona's prayer knowing Othello will kill her, or laugh at and with Rossini and Mozart's Figaro? Classic musicals too, like South Pacific, Oklahoma, Carousel, modern operas all. Yes, all vocal I know; but when you're a little older and more intelligent you will learn to love Mahler, Bruckner and even Shostakovitch. As Malcolm Sargent used to say, "You should never listen to a piece of music for the first time!"

music is probably the only thing in my life i ever gave two sh*ts about.

the passion for what i buy/listen to never seems to dwindle. the 3+ hours i spend on the work commute each day are a blessing because of my ipod.

i feel sorry for people who have said to me that they don't like music (of any kind!) - i could never get my head around that one.


must point out that as well as bringing people together, some of the biggest arguements i've been involved with have been about music lol

I can honestly say I can't imagine life without music, I like a wide variety, all sorts of genres, I do have a weakness for metal but I also love R&B, hip hop, new age, trance, techno, old skool hippy stuff from the 60s and 70s, opera, lots of classical stuff, rap, you name it really. If it's a good song, if its well written, if it has that vibe, then I'll love it no matter what category it's been put in. Never a day passes without me listening to as much as possible! It means everything to me, I still get really excited when I hear a new band or piece of music that I really like. You can virtually have whole conversations with people just with music tracks. Yeah I LOVE music!!!!

THAT's what I mean! My life (and I suspect, that of millions of others) would be pretty empty without music. No matter what you listen to/prefer, music can lift you when you're feeling down, make you sad, stir memories, put you in various moods.
As to opera, I think the main problem (for me, anyway) is that opera is in a foreign language, and to me, it's just too much to try to translate it. I do like some opera MUSIC (like Carmen and Don Giovanni), but would not listen to a full opera all the way through.
I also hate the high-pitched singing of the divas.
On a similar note though, and as I already mentioned music can transcend language, as I recently got into the music of Josh Groban, who often sings in his native tongue (Spanish? Italian? I'm not quite sure, perhaps even both), but I still find his music excellent, accessible and enjoyable, even though half the time I don't know what he's singing about! I even find myself trying to sing along...!

Trollheart I don't know whereabouts you live, but I was introduced to opera at the English National, where all the operas are sung in English. It's an arm and a leg for a seat,. but its so worth it for a very occasional treat. I've not been for a couple of years now as really can't afford it, but it's the experience of a lifetime! I can listen to Puccini in Italian and love it, but it takes it to another level if you understand what they are singing about as well.

Music is one of the most important things for me. Most (not all, but most) other things I do, or am interested in (eg dancing, performing, theatre) is in some way related to music. I love the way the right piece of music can elevate a performance or make you feel a certain way, like almost nothing else can.

I agree that it transcends language. I have many foreign language albums (everything from Malay to Spanish) - half the time I don't know what they're on about but the music and the emotion is enough that it doesn't even matter. Music is very important to me, I honestly can't imagine not listening to music ever again.

(Actually, as I type this I've just bought some music from CD Baby. Case in point? )

More than anything else for me, Music defines my memories.

For example, I remember being on Holiday in Scotland, when the great Blur vs Oasis battle took place (Country House Vs Roll with it).

I remember being in the back bedroom of my old house listening late at night as Virgin Radio played Champange Supernova and it blowing me away....

I remember my first proper gig being Ocean Colour Scene at Bournemouth, and spending most of the set snogging this random girl....

I remember being with my Ex-girl friend when Sophie Ellis Bexter beat Victoria Beckham to number one...

I remember my ex buying me tickets for U2, then dumping my, I still had the tickets, so took my new girlfriend, who is now my wife...

I could go on and on, but music is the one thing for me which can take me back to a place and time, its very important to me...

I'd be lost without music. It's kept me going when times have been hard, it's soundtracked the good moments and it's made me laugh and cry.

Madge, absolutely agree. Music is the soundtrack to so many people's lives. I hate it when people say "it's only a song!" like it doesn't matter. If music is done well, it can be one of the most important things in your life. It can teach you about far-off places when you're young, inform you about politics, tell you about love, explain prejudice, and so much more!
Albums that significantly changed my life, or at least had a major effect on it:
Eagles "Hotel California" (First time I heard the title track I was so disappiinted that the story ended with "you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!" I wanted to know what happened after the big guitar solo!)
Meat Loaf "Bat out of Hell" (Remember looking at this album in the record shop every night coming home from work, and just being so blown away with the artwork. Never expected the music to live up to the cover, but how it did!)
Marillion "Script for a jester's tear" (The only album I have ever played twice in succession as a debut, left me feeling lost and humbled in the vast universe. The beginning, I knew, of something special)
ELO "Discovery" (The very first album I ever bought, and the start of my lifelong love of ELO)
Geneis "Seconds out" (as above, the first Genesis album I ever got. I thought "Supper's ready" was the most incredible song I had ever heard!)
Supertramp "Crime of the century" (I loved the sleeve, and fell in love with the music)
Iron Maiden "The number of the beast" (Started my longtime and enduring love of hard rock and heavy metal --- ah, youth!)

and more recently
Mostly Autumn "The last bright light" (What an incredible band!)
Ten "Far beyond the world" (My first album by Ten, after which I went and got their entire catalogue!)
Josh Groban "Closer" (Almost hit the stop key when I realised it wasn't in English (well, not all of it) --- so glad I didnt!)
Last edited by Trollheart : 13-11-2007 at 20:50

Music is one of the most important things in my life. Seriously! I work in a music shop, I listen to cds in the car, I listen to music when I get ready for work, I listen to it at work. I watch music videos when there's nothing on the tv. It's the only thing to motivate me to run 5 miles. It's literally the only thing I talk about when I meet new people. I could go on!!

Music inspires me, motivates me & influences me in ways I would never have imagined. I LOVE MUSIC!! I'm not ashamed to say it

In a word - everything.

Music is more important than everything. Indeed it IS everything. The very building blocks of our universe - subatomic particles and quantum mechanics - are in essence forms of music. I believe that all matter, all energy, all of time-space itself, is made of music.

Like Frank Zappa said: "Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is the best."

To my mind, in this regard, Zappa is up there with Einstein, Newton, Copernicus and Pythagoras.

That's very poetic. I like that. You go on to mention Frank Zappa's (or Mary's, the girl from the last tour... you know, on the bus ) famous mantra from 'Joe's Garage', and its also not far from his thinking on the subject, which he may even have got from one of the stoner freaks in the piano he recorded for 'Lumpy Gravy'...

"Everything in the universe is... is... is made of one element, which is a note, a single note. Atoms are really vibrations, you know, which are extensions of THE BIG NOTE, everything's one note. Everything, even the ponies. The note, however, is the ultimate power, but see, the pigs don't know that, the ponies don't know that. Right?"

Music to me is my soundtrack. Not the actual events that are happening in my life, but to my state of mind.

I remember last summer and listening to Ben Fold's 'Whatever and Ever Amen' album over and over and remembering how that made me feel. It's all about state of mind, what the music invokes, and that often cant be put into words.

I guess music is a good way of marking memories for myself. If there's a song or an album that signifies a certain time, good or bad, then it becomes meaningful. I suppose in that way music can be the keys to accessing your life.

A song actually changed my life.....

I was married by 20, 2 kids by 22....but i wasnt happy & i didnt love my wife.

Then i heard a song by a band called Banderas, the song was called "this is your life" ..i believe it was released as a dance mix a few years later.

The song lyrics go on about how you only get one life, how there is no rehearsal, this is your one and only life so live it to the full.

This song helped make my decision to get out of my unhappy marriage....15 years later i'm with the woman of my dreams, working in a job i love, overall i couldnt be happier & i still see my kids regularily, they understood its better to have 2 happy seperated parents than 2 miserable (living together) parents.

Music is linked to my chosen profession (sound engineer, DJ & club visual artist) and i met my other half while djing in a club.

So - music has shaped my life and will continue to do so.

Col

It make's my day and to escape reality.

Without music, life would be an error. The German imagines even God singing songs.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
Berthold Auerbach

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.
Plato

Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.
Plato

Seconded...I couldn't live without it.