Falling in love with music: tales of a middle school romance
It was the 8th grade, and I had no sense of fashion. I don’t mean that my style was different from what was popular — I mean that I genuinely had no style. My upper half (and ankles) were doused in ’80s influenced cotton while my butt swam within the baggy folds of denim in my mom jeans. My hair was either unbrushed or stuck to my forehead just above my coats of blue eyeliner.
He was a mousy nerd in the butterfly stage just before hipsterdom. He over-enthusiastically discussed The Office, adored Mumford & Sons before anyone knew them and drew portraits of the Flight of the Conchords lads in his spare time. For all intents and purposes, he was basically a jerk. But I found him a charming jerk, so I followed him around tennis camp and agreed with his every word. It was middle school love. But it was middle school love soundtracked. Most of our one-sided relationship involved me rapidly googling whatever musician he was telling me about so I could pretend I already knew them. I went from knowing the Top 100 and bopping along blindly to being well-versed in 2000s Brit-rock, alternative hip hop and dozens of other sub-genres that sound freakishly like street drugs.
I began as an ignorant student. Whatever he told me, I soaked up aggressively while batting my eyelashes. But soon, I delved into the depths of YouTube’s recommendations. I went from five minute delayed responses, to texts about The Wombats to preemptive suggestions of the next big thing in indie that he should check out. Suddenly, the music wasn’t just a means of flirting; it was a way of life. That boy and I never fell in love — sure, we made out a few times in high school, but the real love affair that began was between me and music. And it’s been intertwined with my life ever since.
Every good student must outgrow their teacher at some point. For me, it became an issue of going beyond just what the underground, hipster movement fed me and connecting with music of all genres. It’s a purpose that still fuels me to this day (something my boyfriend
wishes would change so I’d stop listening to Taylor Swift around him).
Everyone has their preferences. For me, I’m drawn most to surf rock and pop punk, but that doesn’t mean that is all I listen to. Music can be for contemplating life, finding strength and empowerment, dancing, waking you up, making you feel sexy, goofing off, crying and much more. The seriousness of its use doesn’t validate its existence. One of the biggest problems in music consumption is the notion that music must always mean something deep. No, scratch that. The biggest problem in music consumption is the notion that lighthearted and joyful uses aren’t deep.
The first time I ever realized this was when I pondered the differences between Bon Iver and Blink-182. Both are amazing, but those who love Bon Iver tend to argue that Blink-182 is frivolous and silly. I would argue that it takes just as much talent to be relatable and simple as it does to be poetic and drenched in metaphors. Don’t get me wrong, I love Blood Bank just as much as I love Reckless Abandon. The point being, I love them differently. Not more or less, just differently. I love Kesha just as much as I love the Clash because Kesha inspires me to dance and not care, whereas The Clash inspires me to consider everything from the exploitation of capitalism to issues of gambling and monetary obsession.
Of course some people don’t look for everything in music. For some people, music is just an excuse to dance or just a thought provoking art. That’s okay too. My point is that whatever music is to you, that’s okay. What’s not okay is to negate the importance of music in another person’s life because it differs from your own.
Recommended playlist:
“Love Into The Light”
– Kesha
“Leaves in the River”
– Sea Wolf
“Whoa Whoa Whoa”
– Watsky
“Camouflage”
– Selena Gomez
“Josie”
– Blink-182
“Little Red Wagon”
– Miranda Lambert
“U-Huh”
– Tkay Maidza
“Work from Home”
– Fifth Harmony
“Water”
– Ra Ra Riot
“The Best Today”
– Keaton Henson
Malorie McCall is a junior majoring in philosophy. Her column, “Mal’s Mix,” runs on Fridays.