music and culture post 1

Taking a look through my CD case, I find that through out the years my musical tastes 

have only become heavier and more technical in the playing styles that I listen to. Also, i have 

some christian rock from when i first started getting into music. my first CD dealing with a 

rock n' roll band was the Newsboys, and recently I bought the new Children of Bodom album 

which if you listen to any of the songs from either of the two bands you should be able to hear 

the difference immediately. My musical journey has taken me from soft christian rock, through 

punk music, then to 80's rock, funk music when i started playing bass, metal and now 

prog./death metal.

Most of the music i listen to today deals with more musically challenging things like odd 

time signatures or just the pure insanity of the skill levels of the band members. Although i can 

go back to any of the music I listened to in middle school and realise that i somehow still know 

all the lyrics, or have all the riffs memorised and sometimes I stumble across one in my own 

playing and don't realise that it is from a song that i used to listen to until i have already made 

my own song out of it. Recently I have become a fan of the band Alter Bridge, which is actually 

the band from Creed with a different singer. there a pretty strait forward metal band, but the 

singer actually sings and most of the heavy riffs they have are in odd time signatures, one of 

the songs that amazes me the most is called White Knuckles, in which the singer, who is also 

the rhythm guitarist, plays a guitar part in 6/8 while singing in 4/4(an amazing feat). when you 

compare that to Sum 41, or Billy Talent who's songs are all in 4/4 to me that's quite a 

difference. 

My emotions never took hold of the bands I listened to, more the musicianship then 

vocals, but every band has a sad song no matter what genre they are, and if something was 

going the opposite way of what I wanted it to then usually i would find one of those songs that 

could explain to me what I was feeling even if I didn't know how to explain it to myself, that is 

the true beauty of music, and I can always rely on it to help me through anything, and i will 

always go back to the songs I have counted on in the past to help me handle my problems, or i 

can even write my own music sometimes which is why i think everyone should know how to 

play at least one instrument, or at least know the theory behind music so that they can let out 

their emotions in the vocal aspect of music. For me it is a major relief to be able to sit down 

and write a song for when I'm sad or happy or whatever I'm feeling when i pick up my bass or 

guitar.

all in all, my music has more changed with my knowledge of music and the realization that 

music can not only effect the way i feel, but my feelings can affect the way i interpret music. 

and in my 220 CD case there are many different genres, bands and sub-genres that can follow 

certain time periods in my life, or maybe that my life has followed. Music is something that i 

would not be able to live without, and even right now I'm listening the the late night 

dishwasher soundtrack that, with its rhythmic grumbles and growls, tells me that i need to  

stay awake and finish this cause its almost time to turn it in, its always been my 

procrastination paper music.