Pelham Records

Listening to music and writing about it makes a pleasant change from my normal occupation of providing guidance about topics such as investment and how you can find the best autoresponder. One of the great pleasures of listening to music is that, as a stress buster, it is almost unmatched. It requires very little effort other than simply turning on some kind of music system and loading the music that you like.

It seems to me that it is a major mistake to try and categorize music into watertight compartments and then pass judgment on what is good and what is bad. Generally speaking, a love of Western classical music is regarded as a “good thing” and a mark of superior culture. Yet, has anybody ever thought that when you think about American music, it is genres like jazz, blues and rock ‘n roll that are top of mind. This is music from the heart without any intellectual or cultural pretensions.

Regrettably, many people seem to believe that music appreciation requires knowledge of music history. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is true that knowing a little bit about the music that you are listening to can add to your mental stimulation. However, you require absolutely no technical knowledge or historical education in order to enjoy listening to music. Music is such an intensely personal taste that you will often find it hard to explain why you like a particular piece of music.

The short answer is that you should not even begin to explain or analyze your likes. Listening to and liking music should be kept as simple as possible without your needing to justify your taste. By all means, make an attempt to learn more about your favorite music but only if you are convinced that this will increase your enjoyment. All you are really required to do is to approach music without any preconceived notions and a desire to truly enjoy the experience.