why do you like it?

I never discuss music because I am bad at names. I cannot tell you about Artist A whose album from 19xx had such a profound impact on my life. I suppose that if I cared enough, I’d do a little research, find out who played that song I liked so much. And I do, from time to time. In the end, though, I just like what I like.

I can hear my music teacher echo in the distance—”why do you like it?what about it do you like?”

There’s no genre or artist which has transcended the years of my maturation as a constant companion. An endless stream of notes, melodies, tonalities, forms. Hip hop, house, rap, punk, hardcore, grunge, metal, classic (lumped together, how sad), indie (even more sad), blues, jazz, swing, big band, gospel, bluegrass, baroque, classical, romantic… it just goes on and on. It gets tiresome. When I move on from one to the next, it’s like losing a bit of myself. A little of my passion for music gets left behind. This is why I love people who can keep it all straight in their heads because then, I can ask questions, hear the passion in their voices about Artist A in the 90s, see how much they truly love the music, and maybe feel the same. Hope to feel the same.

You know, I do remember the music that matters to the people I care about. If only there was a genre for that.