Spreading your self too thin?
 

No, It's not a thread dedicated to unusual sexual practices!

I think my attitude to music is very healthy. I listen to a wide range of music, and the bands that I'm into; I'm passionate and knowledgeable about.

The problem is; that I listen to so many different genres, I sometimes feel like i'm missing out on so many bands because I'm not dedicated to one genre (or a localised genre even!), does anyone else find this a problem?

I'm the same way, but I'm far to ignorant to be convinced that I am missing much. Fact is that I am over 30 and I don't listen to as much music as I did in my teens, I would much rather listen to the things that I like and feel comfortable with in my car than try out 20 bands that I hate to find 1 that I like

Just a mere glimpse into my ignorance

I've thought about this and I honestly don't think I am missing out.

I used to listen to one or two genres when I was younger , the reason I branched out & listened to others in the first place was I realised that many of the bands were just poor copies or offered none of the originality of the better ones.

So basically my answer is the reason i listen to a lot of genre's in the first place is because there's so little worth finding when you get involved in one genre.

I don't really know if what you say is true. I am constantly being surprised by new bands/artists when I hear them. I have a friend who predominantly listens to Hip Hop and blues-he turned me onto SON OF DAVE (check out his live videos-he does everything himself-live!), i have a friend who mentions so many metal/punk/hardcore bands, both past and present. I have been active in a few forums recently and have got some great stuff.

The problem is that I should be able to advise newbies about new bands, but I seem to be constantly playing catch up instead of focusing on what I'm into.

I think you still find the good stuff even if you are not heavily involved , there are always people around to point you in the right direction.

i find that...

because of the label and the nature with being in touch with the underground scene, i come across new bands who have written awesome new albums pretty much every day, whether theyre bands on SD or friends of bands on SD, or played with bands on SD, or on other small labels we like..

it means i barely ever get the chance to listen to much of my CD collection. even the albums i would say are my favourites of all time i havent picked up in weeks. in general i am happy with it as i know the albums are there, i still discuss the bands and i have the knowledge of the genre... the problem comes when getting into a new genre. Ive recently found some awesome new crust punk bands for example. i know nothing about crust punk and it'll probably be months before i get the chance to listen to the 'essentials' and id still know nothing about the genre.

i guess its up to what you want from music.. if experimentaiton and pushing the boundaries is important to you then you'll find yourself finding new bands every day. if consitency and style are important then you probably know enough about music, and speak to enough people about music, to stay in touch with whos best.

I constantly feel as though I'm missing out.
I used to listen to everything and anything, but now I limit myself mostly to new upcoming Indie bands, trying hard to find something that interests me and something I haven't heard before. It's got to the point where I now have far too much music, that it's become impossible to hear it all.

Consequently, it's often the case that I miss the ones (old and new) sitting right under my nose. The White Stripes being the perfect example.
For years this band inexplicably evaded my music radar. I'd heard 'Seven Nation Army', but it took me till the release of the album, 'Get Behind Me Satan' before I tuned into them.

What I tend to do these days, is to give as many bands as I can a few quick listens and decide from there whether or not it's worth my while listening to more.
Inevitably, this leaves me with the feeling I'm missing out.
Obviously it has it's flaws, but it's the best compromise I've come up with.

MusicBanter plays an important part in influencing my, "what to listen to next list". And a good informative post that catches my eye, or a thread dedicated to a particular band with good feedback, is usually enough to to have me searching for a torrent.

I think the only reason someone would completley dedicate themselves to one genre is because they get off on being an expert at it.

I find I have this problem as well - the annoying thing about it is that I can't find enough time to listen to all the music I want to. Metal is my main genre, but I listen to all genres - not only that, but I listen to every subgenre of metal.

I really wish I had more time to idly listen to music.

I go through phases where I get really knowledgable about a certain genre and then a couple of months later I kind of have a fall out with it and am not so obsessed but still listen to it a decent amount.