There’s an awful human cycle I dream of breaking. It often starts like this – Adults only listen to the music they grew up on and think modern music sucks. They genuinely long for the good old days when music really meant something. Meanwhile, their kids think their music is old and lame. These kids only listen to new music from young artists of the present; learning from their parents to form a rigid musical identity around current artists and genres.1 Eventually those kids get older, and they stop listening to new music because it no longer sounds like what they learned to identify with. Soon they wall themselves in behind the records of their youth and start saying things like “music these days is terrible” just like their parents said to them. Then they have kids of their own, and when they try to share the special melodies from their youth their kids call it “old and lame”. And the cycle continues…
Music is supposed to be this magical thing that brings communities together. It’s the universal language connecting people across cultures, generations, oceans, and (according to Hollywood) alien races. Unfortunately, something in our society is stopping this from happening. I think this is a serious problem, and serious problems require clever acronyms. How about New Offerings Start To be Avoided Locking Generations In Austerity, or the NOSTALGIA Cycle.
Understanding NOSTALGIA
We all know the years of early adulthood are about figuring out who you are as a person. The “best years of your life” are full of experimentation, discovery, and growth. The world feels vast and surprising as you travel to new places and try new foods and experience new art and fight the system after learning new facts about the world you live in. You assemble the things you connect with along the way, and with enough of those identity building blocks you shape yourself into a real adult. Eventually, one glorious day in your 30’s, you reach your final form; now knowing what kind of food you’ll eat, the political party you’ll support, and the music you’ll listen to for the rest of your life. Out with the new, in with the old… right?
But what if that’s not true? What if that process of broadening your interests is an essential part of what makes life meaningful and important? What if people lose hope because we stop exploring the world? What if finding yourself is a daily opportunity, not a singular discovery?
How Do We Break The Cycle?
There’s a simple and powerful solution for NOSTALGIA; listen to new music. An overwhelming amount of incredible music, from every era and corner of the globe, is just waiting to change your life. Historically it was expensive and time consuming to find new music, but that’s no longer true. Streaming services give us access to 60 million songs and counting! Today, right now, we have the power to understand our fellow human beings in profound ways, and end NOSTALGIA.
If you’re ready to start expanding your music library here are a few thoughts to keep in mind along the way:
- We have to avoid forming rigid identities around particular genres and artists. You can like one kind of music without hating others. Having good taste in music means regularly seeking out different music, pressing play with an open mind, and celebrating the artistic achievements of every generation and culture.
- Whenever someone puts on music give it an honest chance. Even if it really is a terrible song! This is an opportunity to break the cycle. Find something admirable about the music and complement it.
- Never say anything resembling “new music is garbage” or “music used to be so much better”. With a little digging you’ll find plenty of beautiful music worth celebrating in every era.
- Proactively explore someone else’s interests. Find music from someone else’s generation or culture and share it with them. My dad hipped me to the new Makaya McCraven record earlier this year. I’ve never felt more proud!
- Once a month listen to something outside of your comfort zone. I’m confident you’ll grow as a person, learn more about the world, and find some music you really enjoy along the way.
Trading Austerity for Prosperity
I get excited imagining what a post-NOSTALGIA world might look like. Sweeping political reform would be demanded if we all really listened to the lyrics and calls for help in Black American Music. Immigrants would be enthusiastically welcomed after hearing the beautiful cultural sounds they would bring to our communities. Nations would come to honor each other’s ways of life through the unique art our respective societies produce. Tense Thanksgiving dinners would become celebrations of each generation’s sonic contributions! This all probably sounds like wishful thinking, but honestly, how could women not be treated equally if everyone listened to Aretha Franklin?
I’m not advocating you delete your favorites playlist. Please, listen to your favorite songs! Blast those jams until the neighbors are singing along with you. But leave a little extra space at the end of the playlist, just in case. There’s a beautiful possibility you haven’t heard your favorite song yet. Happy listening y’all.
1 Gen Z kids proudly wearing Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd shirts while also having no interest in/knowledge of those bands is a social phenomena outside the scope of this post or the author’s understanding.
If you are eager for new music but aren’t sure where to start I encourage you to sign up for Fresh Picks. It’s a weekly music recommendation newsletter of beautiful, enrighing music from across the spectrum. Each week myself (or a guest picker) will introduce you to something new, something old, and something different. It would be an honor to share some music with you!