Interviews with Music aficionados

[teberttopgun]

Wes: That's really cool that you thought of me, man.

I think that the way I introduce myself to music is very specific to the type of music I am getting into. When I listen to things from musicians who I have high respect for/have received praise for conceptualizing strong bodies of music (like Radiohead or something), I look through reviews to find a good starting point album and listen to it cover to cover.

When I listen to pop music/singles bands, I typically look into the general most popular tracks and start there.

From past experiences, the bands I end up enjoying the most are the bands I don't usually like on my first listen. My favorite bands took a long time to appreciate.

I'm a premium spotify subscriber and that's the way I access new music. I buy vinyl probably once a week, but they are always albums that I know I love. The only time I buy physical copies of things is once I've already decided that I love it and it's more of a collectible kind of thing. That's also why I consistently buy vinyl and not CDs. It just feels more collectible.

I listen to my vinyl almost every night.

Q:So, what is it about the vinyl? What makes it important for you to have that, rather than continuing to listen to it exclusively on Spotify?

W: It's a more direct way to support the musicians I respect. Spotify doesn't pay artists for shit. Vinyl also has a unique, real, classic sound. The albums come with all kinds of awesome stuff like posters, too.

Q:So, is there a ritual you do, since you listen every night?

W: Not so much a ritual. I just choose something based on my mood and the time I have available. The only thing I consistently do is stand the cover up on display while the album plays.

I've never really thought about it. I guess I just assume that the band consciously chose the cover for a reason so I would hope that displaying it would assist me in making that connection.

[twillis]

This is some great feedback. I would be interested in learning more about how they decide to listen to music on spotify. Are they curating playlists? Selecting a station based on mood and letting it play(i dont have experience with spotify, but I assume they have something like pandora's stations)

They mention vinyl, do they have a sizable collection of mp3/flac/etc? if so how do they go about exploring that? Do they feel they utilize it very well? Or do they feel like they just hit the same few albums over and over again despite there being 1000's more available to them that they may not have heard or listened to in while?

I personally would love to build my vinyl collection again, but years of ripping cd's and buying mp3s is where my investment has been made. But it would be cool to have software that makes those digital files feel more collectible as your friend says. I dont have an answer for this yet just thinking out loud.

[ttrucco]

I too am curious about the gravitating towards Spotify. He's a premium member, which means he found enough value in the service to make paying regularly a good investment.

If he doesn't have very much in the way of his own digital collection, what is the main reason for that?

[teberttopgun]

Music App Survey Questions & Answers – Leandra-Juliet Kelley (music enthusiast, writer, photographer, musician [but not a performer]) I'm finding that the "heavy music user" name encompasses a wide range of behaviors, so I'm trying to keep my questions general in this survey format. In a true interview I'd chase down the rabbit holes of the myriad ways you enjoy music, so don't think any of your responses are, say, "too specific." Not possible! I really want to know about the details. So don't feel like you have to answer these questions specifically, just use them as a jumping off point to talk about your passion.

How do you consume music? Are there different ways you listen, at different times?

I mainly listen to music using Spotify. I find out about new artists through work (I work part-time at an independent record label in London) and updates from music editorials online and on twitter. I listen to music through my computer speakers (I left my good ones at home!) and I ALWAYS listen to music on my phone (again, mostly through Spotify) while I’m out an about. On-the-ear headphones, no earbuds for me!

How do you categorize music? Do you use the genre on the album, or do you have a system that is more meaningful to you, or more academically relevant? I don’t really categorize music as I used to. I would say I mainly listen to electronic music, and this is the genre which interests me the most. However, this is a very large umbrella and there are many “subgenres” that fit underneath it. Especially since genres are so blurred, which I think is a good thing. Artists shouldn’t have to feel they need to follow a set of rules or fit a persona for a particular music style. Additionally, I believe some categorizations reinforce negative racial stereotypes or passively diminish the credibility of traditionally black genres (i.e. “alternative R&B” or “Trap” – a great article on this issue can be found here.) I think the most conscious distinction I can think of is between underground and mainstream. Most of the music I listen to are underground or independent artists, but many may be “popular” through the global, digital community. I guess I categorize mainstream music as stuff in Rolling Stones Magazine, played on top 40 radio, or MTV. Whereas underground music may be found by reading editorials, blogs, or hearing it from a friend’s stereo.

Do you still "own" music? Would we find a wall of vinyl in your house? If you do, what's your reason for owning that? Yes. I’ve always enjoyed owning physical copies of music since a young age – from cassettes to CDs – similar to books, I enjoy touching the “music” and feeling the art that the musician has chosen to represent their work. For a few years between 21 and 23, I stopped buying music for financial reasons. But after moving to London and working for a record label (and getting that discount!), I collect vinyl records. I decided on buying vinyl as I enjoy the larger artwork that comes with the music, I enjoy how records sound, and I found that no matter how well I took care of my CDs, they would eventually get scratched or too dusty to really function. This can happen with vinyl as well, but records are easier to clean and still sound great decades later. So I knew it was the right format for me.

How do you find music? Do you rely solely on recommendations, hit similar music on Spotify, or do all of the above with some other methods too? I mainly find music through friends and overhearing what they’re listening to. I originally got into electronic music from listening to my brother’s hand-me-downs, and I guess I never got out of that habit. I follow a few music editorials on twitter and read over only a few online, but the music I find that I really like and listen to on a regular basis continues to come from my network of friends and colleagues.

Once you've found something you like, do you dive right into them; going to concerts, buying all their albums, etc? It depends. If I really like their song, I’ll listen to more of their work. If I like more of their work, then I’ll continue to explore their discography. If they’re playing somewhere and the tickets aren’t too expensive and their live performances seem worth it, then I’ll check them out. If I really love an artist and their album, then I’ll purchase it on vinyl (or put it on my “to buy” list). But if there’s an artist who only has one or two songs that I really like, I’ll keep listening to those tracks and keep an eye out for future releases that may peak my interest, again.

Do you ever go through "retrospectives" of an artist, style, or year? Or, any other thing, like a specific guitarists career, or the influences you can find on an album. If you do, what are you looking for? How do you organize or set up that experience, and what are you hoping to learn or feel from that? I don’t really go through “retrospectives” of any particular artist. I’ll listen to that artist and their music, but I can’t recall ever looking into influences or purposefully experiencing a certain musical style. In terms of their influences, I may take a quick look at a musician’s influence if their work sounds interesting, but I don’t do it often. I guess because I know their influences are just an additive to their personal experiences and musical perspective, and therefore, may not be the same as what the artist is presenting. Plus, what I’m in the mood for changes so quickly. I can go from listening to classical music and abstract electronic music to rap and r&b in the course of a day (or even a few hours), especially since when I’m listening to music, I’m usually working, cleaning, cooking, or travelling to work. If I were to create a purposeful experience, it would be relaxing and putting on a record. Additionally, I admit that I am quite lazy when exploring new music. Even when I read editorials, I look over all these names and are even quite familiar with seeing them on all over twitter and stuff. But I never actually listen to their music, at least not for a long time. Unless it’s an artist I know I already like, it may take me awhile to give them a listen. This is probably why I’m not the best at knowing the latest acts, which is okay for me. It’s mainly because while I’m online, I’m listening to music, and I rarely want to pause what I’m listening to in order to hear a new song. It would have to seem really interesting for me to do so, however pretentious that might sound! Lol

Was there ever a period in your life that felt formative for how you feel about music, or find music, or share music now? What was that like? Was it a social experience, or solitary? Did someone hand you a mixtape, or were you hearing the music of a different culture for the first time? Probably my first concert at age 7, when my mom took my brother and me to see Parliament Funkadelic. It’s truly be an important moment in my life and continues to stay with me. I even wrote my undergrad entrance essay on that experience. Particularly when “Maggot Brain” was performed. The pure, genuine, unapologetic emotion that was shared was my first experience of the power of music. I know it sounds cheesy, but I felt such a connection with the musician, even though we didn’t know each other and would probably never meet. Through the music, I felt what he was feeling, and I just thought that was amazing. So even through music industry stuff or what is considered good/bad music or worth time or corrupting our generation, it comes down to the music itself. And maybe because music is so subconsciously influential, it does matter how it’s made and the message within it, but that’s for another time (or thesis paper. Lol). But that experience showed me the importance of music and I knew I wanted something so influential and inspiring to be a part of my life. It wasn’t until freshman year of college that I realized I wanted to study and work in the field as well.

Is there anything else about what you love about music, and why? Obviously I haven't tailored my questions to your responses like I would in an interview. I'd love to hear more about what it is that makes music special to you. I don’t think I have any more to add. I could go on all day and I feel like I’ve said too much already! But, for me, music is a lifestyle. It’s involved in almost everything I do. It’s how I think, feel, express myself, and even grow. It’s a constant. It has, is, and always will be a part of my life, and because of this, it’s like an old friend you can always turn to because they know who you are, your insecurities, fears, and dreams. So that’s why music is important to me. I never thought about it until now, but that’s why it’s a part of my life.

And thank you. I realize that this is a pretty hefty survey. I hope we'll be able to create something really great with your help through it.