Soundtrack of Our Lives
I am hardly the first person to ever blog about this, but what would the soundtrack of your life be like?
Maybe I should be a little more specific; open-ended inquiries like that are good ice breaker questions for airy-headed groups of people. But as I was walking down the street one morning the song I was listening to just struck me as a good match to the feeling and the visuals I was seeing.
In my own limited experience, music works with the visuals to achieve an intended result, at least in directing a film. As people listen to more music more often and more frequently, we can achieve the same — by seeing and listening to certain things, and to achieve purposeful results.
Perhaps listening to a pumping soundtrack while driving enhances your enjoyment even if you are just doing your weekday commute. Or listening to a strong melody that can help me me march down the street quickly. Or a soothing song to relax during some private break time.
It also has to do with your own enjoyment of the music as well. But I found that people who listens to music all the time tend to also listens to a wider range of music; maybe because that’s just how it works.
Much like the science fictional future of our fathers’ generation, there are a lot of little, yet important aspects of today that people did not foresee. Just how many people are carrying around a personal media player today? The soundtrack question lights up differently when one can potentially be listening from a collection of sounds from a wide variety of sources? It’s virtually limitless if you take into account MIDs.
It’s almost Shirow-ish to think that our perception of reality is augmented by little things like this, but it’s the reality we face today.
Recalling the original Macross series, we see the effect of culture as represented by music on a race of people. Macross Frontier is just a timely reminder of how things have (and have not) changed since. Some of us are still high on protoculture, but a new generation of kids growing up will be taking that and inventing new things to do, new ways to explore the world.
I get those moments too! For me though, they’re fairly rare, even though I generally listen to music when I’m outside walking around. What was the song you were listening to? I’m always up for new music to try.
I’m constanly listening to music at any time possible, and yeah, it makes things more exciting. If I get into a mood where I feel like writing something rally dark, and then I put on some really dark music, it enhances the mood. Some epoc folk metal turns a walk home into a journey into a rival kingdom, sword in hand against an army of the undead. Or something, lol.
Been listening to “Reflectia” by Eufonius alot lately, and one can be amazed at how beautiful the song is especially when you walk in the park….wind blowing, leaves falling….and even when you’re getting on and off the train, seeing the scenery zoom by so fast.
Funny thing is, I spend the entire day listening to music (if I’m allowed to, which my work doesn’t), but most of it ends up being upbeat-ish electronic, Japanese, or classical - mostly the first. However, I do agree that the music pretty much affects you in a very physical way, listening to slow, soothing tracks to relax, or to energetic stuff to get pumped up.
Eheh, I would have no problem making a CD for people … generally, there’s a song that I feel represents any major life event I’ve ever had. Strange mix of American and Japanese music that covers every genre from enka to rap. Heh, now THERE’S a thought, an enka/rap hybrid song.
Music has always been an important part of my life. Music can often make or break an anime or movie for me; it enhances visuals and adds emotion g’dammit….
Music adds a sort of “color” to my life experiences, even when I’m not directly listening to it. Just thinking of a tune while taking a test, walking on the street, or looking at scenery affects my mindset.
At the same time, I try to make things up by myself in my head as well. It’s all well and fine to have that Ayako Ikeda or Kanye West song for that perfect moment, but why not try to think up something new. Though what I find is also that what you think about depending on the situation is based on what you’ve experienced, songwise or no. It’s still fun to do. :P