It’s taken me years to realize this, but my brain doesn’t actually process a lot of pop and rock as music-to-listen-to-and-engage-with. I find a lot of it extremely challenging to learn to play because I don’t hear it as “music” but as background noise.
\nIt’s like my threshold of what counts as “elevator music” is way out of calibration, and I literally can’t find the music in a lot of the stuff.<\/p>\n
From a listening standpoint, there’s not enough going on to occupy my brain in popular music. From a playing standpoint, it turns into highway hypnosis is really short order, and I keep falling asleep at the wheel. Its’ like everything that’s bad about being ADD catches up to me here, and it feels like a really annoying limitation – I can play the stuff, technically, but it’s really hard to stay focused and on track.<\/p>\n
Let me try to explain with examples: my favorite naptime listening of late are Burzum’s “Fallen” and a mixed playlist of old Pere Ubu and the Fall tracks. I find all the input and complex harmonic and often dissonant elements really comforting. I also like listening to a lot of off-kilter jazz to unwind – Fushitsusha, Zorn’s Naked City work, and his IAO album all top the list: they are constant floods of complex input, and make my brain spin and dance in ecstasies of labor that take me to a place where I can rest.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, I spend tons of energy when listening to pop and pop-rock waiting for something to happen, and it rarely does. It’s like dry-humping past the point where it’s enjoyable, and getting boring and painful – there’s neither cessation or release, and yet it’s like you can’t stop, either, because you might miss something interesting – this *MIGHT* be the night. via Facebook It’s taken me years to realize this, but my brain doesn’t actually process a lot of pop and rock as music-to-listen-to-and-engage-with. I find a lot of it extremely challenging to learn to play because I don’t hear it as “music” … Continue reading
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