I’ve always loved music. Ever since I was a child, I have
had that soft spot for good music. As I have grown up, I have developed a
varied taste in music, due to a lot of different people and phases in my life.
My parents have always been avid listeners of Indian
Classical and Semi Classical music. My dad in particular is a devoted fan of
classical music, himself being quite proficient in playing the Tabla and
singing. So naturally, I grew up with greats like Lata Mangeshkar and Pundit
Bhimsen Joshi’s songs playing in the background. Old classical music was always
a constant. It was there when we went on a long journey in a car; it was there
on a quiet Sunday morning. And I fell in love with it too.
I also took some training in classical music. It just made
me a bigger fan of the genre, because then I knew what the singer was trying to
do, and how difficult it was. The high notes, the resonance of voice, the
variations in scale, all of them connected with the music lover in me. I found
that it was a very intelligent art. The effect that the overall song had
wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t correctly and properly channeled. By
the time I was a teenager, I had become a huge fan of Indian Classical and Semi
Classical music.
In school, I was first introduced to English songs.
Surprisingly, I took a liking to them instantly. I became a fan of the lyrics
especially. I tried my hand at writing a few poems myself. My friends and I
used to compete to see who could rhyme the best. I think due to this interest
in lyrics and rhyming, we became fans of rap songs, and pop songs and rock and
roll music. We listened to only what we thought was the best songs in these
genres. The Backstreet Boys, Eminem, Kanye West, Avril Lavigne, Justin
Timberlake, The Beatles, Abba and many others are some of my favorite artists
in these genres. The lyrics, combined with the music and the talent of the
singer just made it all come together in a way that wowed millions worldwide.
As I grew older, and as my knowledge about the world grew
with me, I started to listen to various kinds of music. I started listening to
genres like punk rock, heavy metal, progressive metal, and thrash metal and
such. I found that these types of songs have a certain element of power in the
lyrics, music, and vocals. I found myself swaying and nodding to these songs at
first, and before I knew it, I was head banging and screaming to my heart’s
content at concerts. The bands like Linkin Park, Metallica, Green Day, Iron
Maiden, A Day to Remember, Slipknot, AC/DC, All That Remains, Red Hot Chili
Peppers, Atreyu, Hinder, Chickenfoot, Killswitch Engage, Lynyrd Skynryd, The
Offspring and many others really created history in their own right and made me
a huge fan of their music. The way the drums or the rhythm guitar or vocals
make a feeling of power surge through you is just not possible to describe. It
has made the hair on the back of my neck stand. It has made my hand rise
involuntarily in the air. It gives one a feeling of power, a strange joy. I
have every riff, every note, every solo etched in my memory, and I am hungry
for more.
Music has always been a companion. If I’ve been sad I’ve
listened to it and felt better, if I’ve been angry I’ve listened to it and
vented off steam, if I’ve been happy I’ve listened to it and celebrated. I have
closely analysed songs, I have listened closely to the lyrics and the music,
and I have found joy in the little details that I have noticed. In fact, when I
listened closely, I realised how heavy metal music is actually very close to
Indian classical music. When heard superficially, both genres seem to be poles
apart, but they are quite similar. In terms of the effect of power that both of
them have on the listener, in terms of requiring only skilled masters of music
to be able to do justice to the songs, in terms of variety and allure and
captivation of audiences and in terms of technique.
Now when I look at my collection of music, I’m truly baffled
yet amused at how such a variety of genres ended up on my playlist. I have
collected the music as I have grown up, and I’m not about to stop.
In conclusion, I can say with certainty that music has
played a vital role in the kind of person I am today.
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