Evolution of Music

Music has always been a big part of my life. It is a time to just sit and let your emotions free while letting the artist speak to you, through you, in your own world. (It's also the reason I always try to put what I am listening to below my posts. I find I am almost always listening to some form of music)

As mentioned here, I actually did purchase one of the first MP3 players on Ebay my freshman year in highschool. Before Cody, one of my first close friends at a new Highschool, I had no musical thumbprint. I just played what I heard on the local pop station (101 WIXX). I still hear some songs, Rockafeller Skank, and remember them as being on my first ever playlist. Regardless, I met Cody, talked to him, he was also pretty tech savvy and really enjoyed the mp3 player. We would split the ear buds during studyhall. He suggested I go home and download Sugar, by System of a Down, and Open Your Eyes, by Guano Apes. I did, and my life has forever been affected by that choice.

My highschool days were strong with actions to prove my freedom and to appear to rebel(Let's face it, in reality I was still growing a backbone). This new metal, hardcore and aggressive, would fit my appetite for an adrenaline rush, and also tell the general public I was my own individual capable of enjoying music that wasn't hand fed to me. I think the foundation of my love for hard music started then, and continued, because in its raw form it is the release of all your stress, anger, and emotion. That is if your looking for a release, if you just want an adrenaline rush while working out, it can be that too. I moved on from System of a Down to Slipknot, Static-x, Mudvayne, etc..

A lot of my friends listened to Eminem in highschool, so my second genre of music switched to him, (I don't know if I can say rap, in general it was strictly Eminem). My Eminem phase hit its climax with "The Eminem Show". I remember listening to it, mostly Till I Collapse, to pump me up for Cross Country meets. Shortly after this phase I ventured into Ludacris, DMX, etc, but it was short lived and I eventually went back to Hard rock/ heavy metal.

I went to college where music is often a easy topic of conversation. I found myself saying "I like everything but country." I said it with a smile and enjoyed saying it because I hated country music people. My uncle started listening to it around '03, '04, and he told me you just need to start listening and you will be hooked. I disagreed. I became friends with Evan and Luke, 2 avid outdoorsmen and country music enthusiast. They were able to download the new country that was popping up that sounded like Rock, none of this twangy blues crap I had grown to hate. They showed me that country represents being against the hustle and bustle of corporate america just as much as the hard rock. It is about pride of being from a small town and being close to the land. I found myself turning over to the dark side. With that transition I moved into a time in my life where I could now say I listen to everything. (And yes, I do mean everything, my mom has been an avid musical Soundtrack enthusiast, so I have learned to enjoy albums such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Phantom, etc)

I recently somehow jumped into a club/pop phase. I think it's because of listening to 102.1. I may go through phases but I always come back to my roots which is the heavy stuff.

Listening to: Have It Your Way by Mudvayne