If you know me, you’ll think one of two things:
1. I have stellar taste in music, or
2. I have very STRANGE taste in music.
Really, it can go either way.
But I wasn’t always like this. Way back in the day, when I was growing up, I had the mish-mash of music I’d hear in the house, from the oldies my dad liked, to the current adult pop favourites (like Wham! and Lionel Ritchie) that my mom liked, to the current young pop selections (like Spin Doctors) my one brother liked, to the psychedelic pop my other brother liked (like Pink Floyd).
I was lost! What did I like? I went from each person, trying to attach my taste to theirs, but not really sticking to any one band. I remember getting CDs like the Much Music dance mixes, or music by Madonna or Mariah Carey. Let’s just say I was still finding my niche.
In the mid-nineties, I discovered Tori Amos, who I immediately fell in love with. Her songs were quirky and accessible (well, to me, at least) and very great listens. Towards the end of the 90′s I started working with a girl who changed my musical life. Not only did she LOVE Tori Amos, but she also played piano (I had just started playing at that point). I felt like I had found a kindred spirit!
I was introduced, from that point on, to the great bands like Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead, to the wonderful voices of Joni Mitchell and Jeff Buckley, and to the awe-inspiring creations of Sigur Ros and Sufjan Stevens.
Thanks to this person, I feel like I had finally found where I wanted to be when it came to listening to music. Yes, I may still listen to some pop tunes (these days McFly is a favourite), but I also listen to the very strange, the very indie, and, frankly, the very beautiful. I am always in search of something new and different — a song or an artist whose voice captures me and makes me want, no NEED to listen to more!
I love finding that one musician who has a voice that stands out from the others, a musician who is talented in their instrument(s), and can write what they want to write — not what they think people want to hear. While I feel that I’ve always listened to music, I am so thankful to this person for showing me the joy of actually listening to music — to the voices, the instruments, and how each piece really fits into the whole.
The selections I’ve shown throughout this post are some of my favourite musicians — as well as some of my favourite songs. I hope to share many more of them with you!
Who influenced your musical taste? How have your listening preferences changed throughout the years?
