Do you think Yoko Ono and John Lennon’s kid listens to mainstream pop? Or is he innately predisposed to enjoy classic rock and mainstream indie? What about if Beethoven and Aretha Franklin had a baby? Would he/she listen to Wiz Khalifa, or have a One Direction poster on their wall?

Does our music taste depend on our environment, our influences, our path to adulthood? I think it does. I grew up listening to alternative rock and indie. The bands I listened to when I was 15, I still listen to today. I love finding new music, and holy-technology is it easy to do so now, but my favorite bands will always be my staples; I will never grow out of them. The reason for that is because it’s more than the music, it’s more than the melodies and the lyrics and the guitar rifts.. those songs define my life.

I’m 14, laying on my bed on a beautiful summer day reading The Dark Tower series, while Aqualung’s ‘Strange & Beautiful’ album plays on repeat in my little silver CD player.

I’m 17, getting ready for a date with my first real boyfriend, ‘St. Patrick’s Day’ by John Mayer playing in the background.

I’m 19, taking the subway to my waitress job in the financial district of Manhattan, Adele’s  album ’21’ on a low volume in my headphones (because it’s dangerous not to be able to hear your surroundings in that city).

I’m 21, walking around my new neighborhood in West LA, listening to Death Cab’s new (at the time) album ‘Codes and Keys’.

I’m 26, taking the bus in Portland in the dead of winter to go volunteer at the Oregon Food Bank, switching off between the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack and Local Natives.

The instances described above are some of the strongest memories correlated to those songs. If I listen to Local Natives, it will immediately take me back to Portland. In fact, I heard a Local Natives song in my yoga class today, and it felt strange, like the reality of a wintery Portland and the reality of a SoCal yoga class were trying to mesh.

What’s crazy to me, and a little depressing, is that I have built such a one-sided relationship with all of these artists. I feel that I know them on a deeply personal level. They have gotten me through tough times in my life, were there to witness the happy ones, accompanied me on long drives and long walks and every workout at the gym (although the genre changes a bit there). These musicians have celebrated with me, mourned with me, helped me keep my sanity and hung out with me as I cooked dinner and folded laundry. They are my constant companions, but they will never know my name. I had Matt Hales of Aqualung sign a shirt once, so I know he’s at least written it (although he put too many e’s), but he probably wouldn’t remember. I made him sign my hand, too, though, so he might remember that.

My point is, these artists have helped so many people besides me go through the same monumental life changes and mundane, trivial tasks. We all feel a sense of ownership and protectiveness over our favorite bands. Have they any idea how much they’ve impacted our lives?

 

Ainslee