Why Do You Love Music?
 

A simple question with an answer that can be infinitely complex: Why do you love music? Try not to have one sentence answers.

I love music because it gets to the core of me. It reaches down into whatever it is that makes me human and amplifies it. It reaches to my extremes. It makes me weep, it makes me laugh. It makes me feel like if there is such a thing as a heaven up there that for a brief period of time, I know what it maybe feels like. It makes me feel primal. It makes me think. It makes me want to love, to hate, and all the things in between. It makes me feel like I matter in a vast, vast world that seems to be going to fast and has a different idea of what is right than I do. It makes me believe in the beauty of humanity.

Music and I are in our own little world. We share each other's thoughts and feelings; no secrets allowed. When I hear and play music, all the bad thoughts and feelings escape from my system. Music just makes me want to think; to think about life, and how beautiful it is. It's unavoidable to those who love it, and undeniable to those who do not. Omg, it's hard to explain; music is just a wonderful thing and makes me aware how lucky I am to be alive.

Here's a really nice quote I got from somewhere:
"When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest."

Music frees me. Nothing else in the world ****in does that. I love music.

I would call music the most universal form of human expression, it touches us all in some way, and it amazes me that even abstract sounds can inspire emotion.

I went to a multicultural festival today and it had all the food stalls, theme tents etc. I walked into one tent and there was these African drummers and they had about 20 people from the crowd get up and play drums while they were at the front doing vocals and leading them with their own drumming. There was the oldies and the middle aged and the teens keeping this magnificent rhythm and even the little ones who had no rhythm at all absolutely having a blast. The look on all their faces was one of joy in being part of it. It was liberating and that is what it is all about for me.

Great question Davey! Way :cool:.

When I listen to music I have no worries.

Being on the shy side all my life, music has always been an outlet for some very strong pent-up emotions. I don't know where I'd be without music.

Music reminds me of how infinitely beautiful everything is. Music brought on my awakening...It is the reason I eat healthy food, study Shakespeare and anything I want, exercise, breathe, and am generally totally inspired all the time. It pulled back the curtain of illusion over my life and showed me everything as though brand new. Like I saw a tree as though I never saw a thing before in my life... Music does that..

Your description matches closely the reasons I love music. I like the fact that music is a peaceful way to express emotion and stir it in others. I also love the way music is absorbing...when I listen to or make music, I concentrate on the music so much that for that moment I forget that life will end, and it is nice to be able to forget that sometimes.

I can relate to what you said, ribbons! One of my strongest memories relating to music was when I went to a Junior High dance and heard a song playing that I loved...I rushed to the dance floor with a friend, but felt so self-conscious and shy that I couldn't get myself to move. I just stood there, unable then to give into my emotions and show them. I think over time hearing music, hearing other people expressing themselves through music, helped me feel more comfortable with myself and my own emotions...anger, frustration, love, joy, disgust, hopelessness, abandonment, silliness, etc.

Thanks for that, VEGANGELICA! Well, I’ve read many of your posts on these forums and haven’t had the gumption to tell you that I think you’re pretty great and a class act all the way. So consider me your "shy" and no-longer-so-secret admirer. :)

Thank you for your kind words, my no-longer-so-secret-and-shy admirer! Actually, *I* have been curious about *you* since you joined MB because I noticed that (1) you use people's names in your posts sometimes, which I often do, and (2) you are also a parent of a young child. I visited your profile to leave you a welcome message last week, but for some reason the visitors messages area of your profile didn't seem to be active...so it is nice to meet here on the boards. This is another reason I love music...music can help people--even strangers--relate to each other. A belated welcome to MB!

--Erica

As I'm no feeler, sometimes it's the only thing that makes some emotions alive inside of me. It just gets through you more subtly than poetry or paintings.

Well even though it's backwards, I listen to music that mimics my own feelings at the time kinda like a friend who silently nods in agreement when you talk about your issues. I say it's backwards because I think it'd be more healthy to listen to happy music when you're sad, calm when you're angry and whatnot so that you can get yourself out of a negative mood. But I just couldn't do that.

I think it should be that way, listening to music that fits your mood instead of listening to music to alter it. It just helps you get everything out, instead of like "changing the subject".

Yes that's true! If you tried to ignore your feelings by listening to something positive you would get bottled up angst and negativity and then you would snap in a large crowd of strangers. Good point! :thumb:

It can be perfect for any situation; it's like a friend that can't possibly let you down. Whether your sad, happy, excited, anxious, angry, energetic, any emotion, there's music to match. It takes away worries and cares, and sucks you into exactly where the artist wants you to be. Some is just fun to listen to, some is stupid in a good way, some provokes thought, and some is just there. It brings people together that might not otherwise meet, like Vegangelica said. And there's an endless supply available any time you want something new; I'm sure you could have music on literally every second of your life and never repeat a song and still not come close to listening to even a small portion of what's out there.

Music is the art form that I relate to the most. So many thoughts, ideas, emotions that I experience can be related to and in music.

I don't really listen to music for identification with an emotion I'm already having. To me, that isn't necessary. Having an art form validate something I'm already experiencing is not productive in my opinion. I'm already experiencing it, and unless I'm trying to perpetuate it, I won't put myself in a situation that will.
I do, however, listen to music to induce an emotionally productive response to it.
For instance, if I want to mellow out and do some photo work or write or something creative, I'll ALWAYS listen to progressive breaks or classical, as I've found it's conducive to relaxation and concentration, and well... I like it. It keeps the mind occupied while not distracting it. But depending on the mood of the project itself, I often tailor the style of music I play to be similar.

Music with vocals tends to distract me, so if I'm being creative, I need to listen to music without vocals. Vocal music only helps if I'm not doing anything at all, or driving, or being social. The style of vocal music only effects the general mood of the environment, so matching the two is usually productive in that regard.

For inspirational purposes when attempting to write my own music, I sometimes listen to a song in the same mood as what I want to create to get my emotional state in the right place. I find this makes my musical creations more focused, as I have a tendency to drift if unchecked.

I've said all that to say, I love music for its usefulness, its effectiveness, its emotional compatibility and its potential to be explored. The one thing about music is that there is always a possibility for music to be better, but I believe that the only thing a person needs is music having the possibility to satisfy. Because no matter how fancy, how complicated, how structured/unstructured something may be.. The music is only beneficial if someone enjoys it and it achieves what the listener wants it to achieve.

i'm just going to quote you rather than rewrite the same in terms of vocal music. i'm like Freebase when it comes to instrumental stuff, passive distractions for the subconscious mind to increase the focus of the conscious state.

Music is shiny and tastes like peppermint waffles

It's the only thing I'm really attuned with. I'm useless without music even 20 years later.

It helps me get by, helps me tune out all of the *******s and idiots in my life. Actually, I don't think I could say why I like music, maybe it has to do with a part of my brain being more active.

This song sorta sums it up for me and probably alot of others on here as well:



"Music is my hot, hot sex."

^Love that lyric so much. Fits me especially well since I'm a pretty dorky guy, as well as..lets say...handsomely challenged. :D

I agree loving music often has something to do with wish-fulfillment and people's love of stories, fantasies, and imagination. I think part of this "music as wish-fulfillment" idea shows up when people (mostly teens) have strong infatuations for singers and rock groups. Songs can let you imagine what it is like to be in a different life (the one described in the song). Music can take you out of yourself while also helping you acknowledge aspects of yourself that are there but that you think others...sometimes even yourself...may not see. A song can be very personal, much like a backrub...after all, when you hear a song, it is as if that person is singing/playing the music just for you (and sometimes singers/musicians really do intend their songs to be for the audience members...a way to reach out to them).

"Handsomely challenged"...aww, that sounds so sweet and sad, Dieselboy! Your self-description makes me want to find/create some cool song that sincerely lauds the charms of anyone who feels that way.

So true!

For me, music is there mostly for exploratory purposes. Instead of bleating on about how interesting the concept of a song is, or how the seer amount of them out there could fill up the earth's oceans, I think I'll just simply state that music does something different each time around and there's a lot of it.

Because it's the only hobby in the world you can be geeky about and yet be cool at the same time.

Pub quizzes excluded.
Those things just get you hated.

Music makes me feel things, when most other things in the world fail to.

For me music can conjure up a whole range of feelings.....good and bad.

For the kicks!
 

Music makes booze taste better!

It has the power to make me move, cry, laugh, love, sing, and shake my ass! Why wouldn't I love music...

I love music because it helps me when i'm in trouble. I can always rely on music to cheer me up. Music always helped me when i was sad. When I was crying over a last girlfriend or something else. Music always was there for me.

I love it cause I can say what I feel without having to use words.

I am no good with spoken words.

It is like a scape valve to me.

Composing not listening.

If I just listen I think I would explode...:banghead:

I love music because at the end of the day when I'm done with everyone's bull**** I could just chill to some great tunes and lose myself!

Because it's one of the only things that is mine. I can choose to listen to whatever I want, whenever I want. It's awesome.