At what age do you stop finding new music?
One of my favorite ongoing discussions is when do you stop finding new music. Age thirty seems to be the magic number. I feel it's even younger. I always say it's when you graduate college.
The reasons are basically the same no matter the age. In those early years, you have a lot more free time and less responsibilities. When you're in college and you skip a class to listen to a new album, no one is going to hassle you...well except maybe the professor whose class you're blowing off. You can't say the same thing if you call in sick to work because you wanted to be first in line to get concert tickets to that great new band (remember the olden days when you had to get tickets in person after waiting all night?).
Whether it's after college or a few years later, your life has changed. Jobs/careers, spouse, children...they all take up your time. You're adulting. Whatever free time you have isn't likely to be used finding the newest big thing in the music scene. Sure your children get older and you'll hear the music they like but let's face it....their music sucks (said by every generation).
So you're kind of stuck with the same twenty or so go-to artists/bands you grew up with...and I'm not saying it's a bad thing. That's just life.
But....you get older. Your children are grown up. You have less pressure, less responsibility with your work life. You find yourself with more time to fill. Maybe you can fill some of it with music. Maybe you want to find some "new" artists because a lot of the musicians you grew up with are dead!
People tell me my music sensibilities are stuck in the 60's/70's. Yeah, it's true....I do spend a lot of time listening to Classic Rock. But I do try to find new and different musicians and genres of music. Hell, I even went to a classical concert this summer. A few years ago, my daughter asked me what I was listening to recently. I said I'd been bingeing on Wilco. Her response was she was listening to them when she was in high school. She was twenty-five at the time of the discussion. Pfffffft!
Every so often I am ahead or at least even with the curve. I "found" St. Paul and the Broken Bones and Alabama Shakes fairly early in their careers. I had their first albums soon after they dropped and saw both bands when their ticket prices were about $20. TWENTY DOLLARS! How cool was I?! It helps when your younger friends tell you about this stuff.
And as you can see in the photo, I did see the Avett Brothers last night. Well yeah, they've been around for more than a decade but they're fairly new to me (eyeroll)....and more on them and the concert tomorrow.
So to put a wrap on this, it's not easy to find new music but it's out there if you're open. If life is getting in your way, that's normal. No need to beat yourself up about this. And oh yeah, occasionally your children and I can't believe I'm saying this, your parents might have decent taste in music. Don't tell my mom and dad, but I more than occasionally listen to Ella, Louis and all of those dead jazz cats.
Enjoy your weekend. Find some new tunes. I'm off to listen to some Beatles. Yeah, yeah, yeah...some things never will change.
Related Post: St. Paul and The Broken Bones-The future of soul music is now
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