Interview for School Project: how important is music to you ?

[AliceR]

Hello everybody,
I'm currently in a french High School and for an examined project I need to interview people about my topic. What I am trying to show is how much music has an impact on people's lives, as well as getting individuals to say how they feel about it.

Here are the questions I'm asking:


- Your age and nationality (optional, or please give approximate)

- How important is music to you ?

- Has it had a precise impact, made a change, at any specific moment ?

- Do you think the music you listen to influences your life/life style/ way you dress/personality ?

- Is there a type/genre of music, artist, band, song, album (anything to do with music really) that had a great or lasting impact on you ?

-Have your tastes in music changed throughout your life ? If so, why do you think that is ?

-What do you think of the importance of lyrics ?


If you have time to answer any of these questions I'm interested in your true opinion, so it would be great to get answers that have had a minimum thought put into them. The aim of all this is to truly demonstrate that there are still some people who value music almost as religion and can explain why, that it can have an impact on ones life and bring change.

Thank you !

[Freebase Dali]

- Your age and nationality (optional, or please give approximate)
31, American

- How important is music to you ?
About as important being able to eat my favorite food, but not as important as food itself. I could live without it and even get used to not having it, but I'd prefer not to.

- Has it had a precise impact, made a change, at any specific moment ?
When I was younger, it did. Now, not so much. It can't compete with actual real life issues.

- Do you think the music you listen to influences your life/life style/ way you dress/personality?
Maybe when I was a teenager. Now, not at all.

- Is there a type/genre of music, artist, band, song, album (anything to do with music really) that had a great or lasting impact on you?
Sure.

-Have your tastes in music changed throughout your life? If so, why do you think that is?
Absolutely. Why? Well, I'd like to think I became more open-minded and willing to seek merit in music I wouldn't have otherwise.

-What do you think of the importance of lyrics?
I think the level of importance of lyrics completely depends on the song.

[duga]

- Your age and nationality (optional, or please give approximate)
26, American

- How important is music to you ?
Very important. It may not sustain my physical health, but it definitely sustains my mental health. Now that I listen to so much, it has become harder and harder to figure out what exactly I feel like listening to at the moment, but there is always SOMETHING that is going to help me out.

- Has it had a precise impact, made a change, at any specific moment ?
It still has an impact, but its more obvious to me now (more in the way that I'm in a ****ty mood and I know I need to just meditate to some music). In high school, discovering music's anxiety-relieving properties basically changed my whole outlook on life.

- Do you think the music you listen to influences your life/life style/ way you dress/personality ?
Nah, I'm still a nerdy scientist. People are surprised with how much I know about music. Then once they realize I have an encyclopedic knowledge (compared to the average person) of nerd-like proportions it makes more sense to them.

- Is there a type/genre of music, artist, band, song, album (anything to do with music really) that had a great or lasting impact on you ?
The Smashing Pumpkins changed my life. I randomly picked up their greatest hits in high school, didn't expect too much (I had heard a few songs before), and then popped that sucker in when I was going to sleep that night. The thought "Where has this been my whole life?" crossed my mind for just about every song on there. I just related to those songs on a level I had never experienced before. I haven't looked back since.

-Have your tastes in music changed throughout your life ? If so, why do you think that is ?
At first I was definitely into alternative rock/heavier stuff. I stayed away from things I thought I might be criticized for (to me, everyone else still knew more about music). Now I listen to everything because my ears constantly crave new sounds. I also don't give two ****s about what anyone thinks about my taste. It's pretty easy for me to make someone feel stupid if they try to pull that on me.

-What do you think of the importance of lyrics ?
Pretty much what Freebase said. Sometimes I don't want lyrics. Sometimes I have to have them. Sometimes they can be nonsense, sometimes I want them to mean something.

[AliceR]

This is great, thank you so much for helping out !

[TheNiceGuy]

- Your age and nationality (optional, or please give approximate)
Australian

- How important is music to you ?
Very. Not to the point of obsession, but I'm very passionate about it.

- Has it had a precise impact, made a change, at any specific moment ?
Yes. I was inspired to learn an instrument through my love of music, and thus it unlocked a creative aspect to my life that hadn't previously been visible. Through the gateway of music I've embraced my artistic side, in many ways not just including the musical aspect of it.

- Do you think the music you listen to influences your life/life style/ way you dress/personality ?
A bit. My love of music has enabled me to build stronger friendships with fellow music lovers and that has shaped my social life a little. As for dress/style I guess my look has turned a bit Mod-ish recently because of my listening to a lot of bands that are in that style.

- Is there a type/genre of music, artist, band, song, album (anything to do with music really) that had a great or lasting impact on you ?
There's probably two main bands that have really struck me. One is Roxy Music; their style and creativity really inspire me as a musician. The other is The Who; partly because the lyrics and messages they spread through their songs are universally identifiable, and also because they showed a confidence in both attitude and music that really catches my senses.

-Have your tastes in music changed throughout your life ? If so, why do you think that is ?
My earliest musical fad was New Wave synth-pop. That was a long time back; now I've gone more eclectic (although still quite rock and anglo-centric) in taste.


-What do you think of the importance of lyrics ?
Lyrics are the soul of music. Not all lyrics are "deep" as such but the message, the emotions and the story of the song are incredibly important. Sincerity is key as well in my books.