The Day of Black Sun

Primary Content

Page 5 of 5 • Go to page: [ 1 2 3 4 5 | prev | next ]

My Evolution

Music is a big part of my life. Without it, I probably wouldn't be here today. While most people listen to music to relax or to have fun, I often listen in order to vent anger and frustration. Although many people would judge and question how healthy such an attitude is, there is NO question in my mind about the therapeutic value of music -- I have been able to get through some very difficult times in my life because I was able to find emotional release through song, and it really frightens me to think that I almost never got into music at all.

With the exception of some old-school hip-hop artists and some "British Invasion" groups, I didn't really listen to music until the early 90's. Although 80's pop had a few good songs (usually from "one hit wonders"), I felt that it was an overall weak decade for the radio mainstream. Unfortunately, 80's music got only worse as the years progressed, and I had no access to "the underground" at the time. Fed up with the current music scene, it was at this time that I stopped listening to the radio, a boycott that I have maintained to this very today.

My opinion of music hit an all time low when I entered highschool at the end of the 80's. Suddenly, music became a lot more important to the people around me, and the "big hair" glam rock bands were the cream of the mainstream crop. Ironically, people often assumed that I didn't like mainstream music because they thought I couldn't understand the lyrics (probably because of bigotry toward my ethnic background), but the truth was that I COULD understand the lyrics, and that was exactly why I didn't like it. As if my negative opinions of 80's rock didn't make me dislike music enough, the harrassment of my peers caused me to dislike music even more.

Just as I had completely given up on music, a bunch of "indie bands" from the late 80's jumped into the early 90's mainstream. Often referred to as "grunge" bands, the "Northwest Explosion" had exactly what I thought was lacking in music: lyrical variety. And suddenly, there were songs in pop-culture about the darker emotions in life, songs with lyrics that were more than just a "catch phrase" for lust or cheap sex. This explosion of progressive music in turn opened up the mainstream to other musical genres outside of the dance-pop and monster ballad norm. Finally! Some music that I could relate to. And just like that, music became an integral part of my life.

After several years of listening almost exclusively to "anger and angst" music (particularly, early 90's alternative hard rock), I entered college and realized that my musical tastes weren't really that much more diverse than my dissenting peers in the 80's. Coincidentally, it was at this time that was introduced to the indie scene. The indies ushered in a whole new world for me, enabling me to hear all sorts of different music at a dirt cheap cost. Unfortunately, I still had far too much pent up anger to appreciate anything "happier" than I was used to hearing.

However, my miserable college experience soon came to an end, and better days would not be far behind. Luckily for me, my need to expand had persevered, and for the first time in my life, I was able accept mellow music as a part of me, just as much as music with angry and dark content. Fast-forward to today -- thanks to a much happier state-of-mind and the "college town" atmosphere in which I reside, I now enjoy a far more diverse palette of music than I did in the past. But the desire to diversify still remains, and so the search for more music continues.

^top of the page

Banner

The Day of Black Sun

MUSIC: THE EVOLUTION CONTINUES

Main Menu

Primary Content

My Evolution

Secondary Content

Current

Music

Games

Anime

Movies & Print

Navigation: RSS Feed

Footer