i was expecting a merge or something haha whatever.

i'll own up to listening to music differently when i first started playing an instrument. then again i also used to think that being able to play an instrument really mattered. i paid more attention to the guitar since it's what i was learning and relatively obsessed with, it became more of a number challenge (not unlike the diablo series of video games).

once i got over the competitiveness / quantitative elements of playing an instrument i was able to relax and go back to listening to the music i heard as opposed to the instrument i played. i think it's a matter of personal perspective and attitude as opposed to something everyone goes through when they pick up an instrument.

I do pay a lot of attention to how well things are played and especially how the drums are played and sound. But it doesn't mean I don't dig a band because maybe the drums are not interesting enough. I like plenty of bands that have pretty avarage drummers. At live concerts I can't help myself giving special interest to the drummer though.

I do think that most people who know will consider me pretty critical when it comes to music but I'm not sure if me being a drummer is the reason for that.

My friend have been taking music theory intensively for the last month, so whenever we're listening to a song she can't stop herself from deciphering the progressions and shouting them out-loud. She's getting a bit annoyed by it, but at least she's understanding the music more. She's understanding the composer.

Tho it doesn't have to do with musicianship, but what's annoying me the most is that I was able to enjoy music however I heard it. Now, cause I'm studying sound engineering, I spend all the time at concerts criticizing the sound mixing and engineering instead of enjoying the show. And iPods aren't enjoyable anymore. Still a good sound is much more appreciated.

yeah i like music with banans

waitwhat.

What are banans?

I did this for a short while after I started playing guitar. I would over analyze every song and didn't listen to music that didn't have really cool guitar parts. So I started listening to The Shaggs, Swell Maps, James Chance and the Contortions, Lightning Bolt, Sonic Youth and the likes. Now I'm not saying by any means that these people are bad musicians (except the Shaggs... they are fun to listen to but as far as musical talent goes... no) but I don't know enough to even begin to understand what the **** they are doing on their instruments. I wasn't at all able to analyze it (I may have tried a bit, but try tuning your guitar for Bad Moon Rising) and just started to enjoy listening to the music again. I took that and went back to music with artists that aren't really good at their instruments. Sometimes I'll do it, but if I just want to enjoy music then I listen for the sound rather than their technical abilities.

Everything is still clinical. Especially in music history courses where there is a lot of technical jargon and listenings are chosen for you.

This is what I meant. All-in-all it's a good thing to learn. It just becomes annoying when you can no longer enjoy music. For me, I wasn't able to enjoy music when we started analyzing it intensely, inside or outside of the classroom. I'm able to set aside the analytical side of me now to just enjoy music, though.