Don’t close the shutters when it comes to music
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Cottage tales | 11 comments
Photo: Winter beach
I hate it when people say that they don’t like jazz, blues, opera. It sounds so final.
Everyone changes. To cut something out of your life forever, unless it’s going to kill you prematurely seems such a shuttered attitude to life. I try to fight doing the same. When I met Danny he loved Country music and Abba. I didn’t share his passion. How could he enjoy this? I even hated the covers of the CDs.
After a few years of D playing them in his car, I realised that I was being a stupid fool. I could be missing out on something great. This is why I started listening to Bob Harris Country two years ago, when I was working late.
It was a job decorating an empty house. I wasn’t enthused by the contract. Booked in for January – the one month in the year when I envy the mammals that hibernate. If there is no one ‘at home’ I have a way of tackling this longing. I go to work late morning I return home at nine, so I can start my day with some quality time. Even if it’s just lying in bed with the Min Pins.
So each Thursday evening I forced myself to listen to Bob Harris’s hour of country music. Even though I thought that I didn’t like country music the first programme was O.K. By the fourth week I was really enjoying Bob’s selection of music and the gruff ‘fifty a day’ voice. That evening I heard a great track, it mentioned a boat and a pony. An inspirational song that has stayed with this ‘old dame’ ever since.
This evening I was listening to Bob Harris Country again. I decided to try and find out who wrote the song that had haunted me. Within seconds I discovered that “If I Had a Boat” was written by Lyle Lovett you can listen to him singing it here and it’s free. Wry Americana at its best.
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There always seems to be something of another music style that I like. I have a vast assortment of cds. From classical to Reggae!
Isn’t youtube great?! It’s how I found out about River Cottage.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=river cottage episodes&aq=0&oq=river cottage
If you live in a mixed age household you are inevitably exposed to a much wider variety of music. I love it when my nephews and nieces recommend stuff they like and they all have extremely eclectic taste. Given their musical abilities it is quite interesting listening to music with them as they listen with trained ears and you never know what will be playing on their mp3s. Even within styles that are not my favourite there will still be particular songs I love. I’m not that keen on sitting through a whole opera but there are arias which can almost reduce me to tears and others with just make you feel so joyful. Pick and choose I say, and never allow yourself to be pigeon-holed.
I’m afraid to say I have often proclaimed how much I dislike hubby’s country music passion, but he lives in hope that one day he will bring me round.
The first morning I woke up with him he put on Shania Twain and then Tanya Tucker – I nearly changed my mind about him then and there!
He’ll probably bring me round to country though. My tastes seem to change as I get older and I’m going through folk and a feast of fiddles at the moment.
I was the same way about country music for a long time … and now, all I listen to is folk and Appalachian. Funny, as you say, how things change if you allow yourself to be exposed to different types of music.
There’s nothing like music to bring back memories – and that link has dredged up all sorts!
I can’t pigeon-hole my musical taste. Except that I love great lyrics and great instrumental solos – which shine through whether it’s country, rock, classical, jazz or whatever.
When it’s assumed that because you’re of a certain age you must like a particular era of music my hackles rise…
Thanks for the Lyle Lovett link Fiona 🙂
Celia
You’re absolutely right, Fiona. In the summer we have a wide range of free concerts here, and we go to hear lots of musicians who theoretically are “not our style”. But as long as someone is a talented musician and believes in what he/she is doing, I can enjoy practically any style of music from hiphop to flamenco to opera (I do draw the line at vapid French pop!!)
I find as I get older my musical tastes change and I do become more tolerant and appreciative of other genres. Having said that, it was a jaw dropping moment when I walked into my local the other day to witness several overweight, 50 something accountant types “doing” air guitar to a heavy metal track. Some things should be kept to the privacy of the bedroom!
Husband and I are musically incompatible. He likes classical (I like it at times) but he cannot stand Radio 2, which I love. I have a pair of wireless headphones and wander round the house and garden with the thing clamped to my head so that Husband’s delicate ears are not offended!
You’re so right. My musical taste is very eclectic and people often scoff at my collection because there’s everything from Frank Sinatra and Patsy Cline to Pink Floyd, U2 and Madonna. But I love it all and what I listen to depends entirely on my mood and/or the occasion. I feel lucky that I can enjoy such variety rather than being like a few of my friends who listen to the same old stuff over and over. All of my three children are the same so I suspect it has something to do with childhood influences.
I know I did this for years when I was a self proclaimed “metal head” & peer pressure comes into it too.
Particularly true of the young… I was given heaps of crap by my peers during my heavy metal (only!) days (late teens to mid 20’s) as I just couldnt get past my early teen obsession with Roxette.
Im still not what would be called “into” the top 40 etc, but yes, I try to listen to everything I come into contact with open ears.
I have even come to know & appreciate some (but not all by a long shot) of my partners rap music. I appreciate that M&M has talent, that maybe 2pac had more to give before he died so young, but I still cant see me buying it or putting it on the “turntable”.
And people who dont love ABBA just havent listened to it enough.. its so catchy, you cant help but sing along (and dance of course)