Journal 1: My Playlist, Myself

311: One of My Favorite Bands (can be found here311 Photo)

My Playlist, Myself

1.     Whenever, Wherever - Shakira

2.     Video Games- Lana Del Rey

3.     Float on- Modest Mouse

4.     Mr. Jones- Counting Crows

5.     Freestyle - Bassnectar

6.     Make Me Proud - Drake

7.     Where is the love? – Black Eyed Peas

8.     Amber - 311

To Hear What I Have To Say About My Music & Myself.. Keep Reading 

In my opinion, music cannot tell you a lot about a person. Generalizing people based on their music choice is considered stereotyping and it is wrong. My music genre preference is all over the board. I believe that you cannot tell what type of person I am based on my music solely.

I don’t believe it is right to stereotype people based on their music choices for a number of reasons. I listen to girly soft songs like Video Games by Lana Del Rey, and heavy electronic songs loaded with bass. It is a fact that women like softer tones while men enjoy deeper and harder tones. So if I listen to songs with heavy bass and deep tones like Freestyle by Bassnectar, it doesn’t mean that I am boyish, but rather I enjoy a variety of tones in my music. Bassnectar is an electronic DJ/ dubstep artist that I often enjoy seeing live in concert. This is the best music to dance to and groove to in my opinion.

Another stereotype with music that I’ve noticed is that classical music listeners have a higher intelligence level and are calm people. I am not calm and I am also not the smartest of the bunch however, I enjoy classical music and the calming it brings over me. Hans Zimmer is a composer that I enjoy because his music is often in films and I can recognize them easily and they are not always calm and easy. Film score soundtracks tend to be my favorite while I am studying.

Music genres often keep within the same tones and feel. If I am a rocker, meaning I enjoy rock music, it does not mean that I am some hardcore kind of head banger. It simply means I also enjoy a little rock with drums and guitar occasionally. I however, do enjoy softer rock music like Mr. Jones by the Counting Crows and perhaps Float on by Modest Mouse. These songs are not too heavy for me but they are light and have good meanings behind them. Modest Mouse is a song that I can always listen to when I am down and feel loads better.

Reggae music is a huge stereotyping genre. If I listen to reggae you can automatically think that I have dread locks and like to partake in smoking marijuana or other drugs. This is completely false. Reggae is a music that always has a good vibe and feeling to. Unlike country music which often can have a sad side, reggae is always bright and cheery music. Songs like Amber by 311, just like Float On, make me feel wonderful and happy.

Hip-Hop music is also a genre that is easy to stereotype. If I enjoy rap you could assume that I am an inappropriate punk teenager that enjoys partying. I may be a punk teenager but hip-hop has a whole different meaning for me. Where the Love by the Black Eyed Peas was one of my first favorite songs as a child. I just loved the message and meaning behind it even as a young girl. Rap songs often carry hidden messages and tones which can be fun to try to decode. Make Me Proud by Drake is a song that has many hidden messages. They may be somewhat inappropriate but it’s all how you look it. I also enjoy the fact that there are two vocalists, a female and male, in the song. Having two vocalists is a good way to connect to both male and female listeners.

Overall, I do not believe it is okay to say what kind of a person I am based on my music choices. As you can see, I listen to a wide variety of music and my music choices are not limited. What you may be able to tell is that I am not picky with my choice of music… except country. I am not much of a fan of country music but other than that put on the radio and I will find a song to sing along with fairly quickly.