Music is a vital part of our lives and each song, sound or melody influences our cognitive reactions and moods. Some of them have a positive effect and others more to a negative side.
We all have different tastes in music which is often determined by our backgrounds, peer influences, cultures or generation.
People with an open mind and being used to adaption can easily be open to appreciate a new style of music or adapt to an unfamiliar vocal style.
When we sometimes feel like we are having a hard time being open to enjoying a new genre or appreciating an undiscovered type of music, it might be that our brain needs a bit of time to adapt and get used to the newly introduced style.
Our current mental state determines our readiness for adaptability to an unfamiliar sound. Emotional feelings like anxiety and ADHD can often lead to frustration when trying to listen to new music.
If you have ADHD and you’re keen on learning to play an instrument, I would totally motivate you. Don’t miss the post I wrote about ADHD and Music: A Functioning Relationship for more information.
Ageing people often hold on to the music that they connect memories with from when they were younger. This creates a euphoric effect for them. We motivate our seniors to listen to new music in order to create new memories and discover the younger version of themselves in a modern interpretation.
How to Be More Open to New Music
Many people in the same household, could have different music tastes. This is normal. But what could we do to be a bit more adaptable to each other?
Often, we can determine if we would like to be open to a new style of music. It’s usually a predetermined perception that tells our brains if we’ll allow ourselves to be open or not.
Being unique and different is the beauty of people. We are all diverse and used to a variety of different things.
Let’s look at the core aspects of being open to new music:
- A relaxed state of mind
- Being ready for a next phase
- To make new memories
This post was written and posted by De Wet from startingmyband.com on 07.07.2023. The content was stolen from me if this blog post is seen anywhere else.
When am I usually more open to new music?
You will usually be more open during your downtime phase of the day. When you can relax and be more in a reflective state. Include breathing exercises and try to listen to each individual instrument.
It might be that you’ll be open to appreciating it, but the music might still not be in your taste. Try to distinguish between these two different aspects.
I am open or new artists only during specific times of the day. On my way to work, I’d prefer something familiar, but in the car back, I’d love to be introduced to something new.
A friend once asked me: “Play me some music that I’ve never heard before.” And I thought that was such an interesting and unselfish thing to ask. I was almost overwhelmed by the options, and I probably wanted him to listen to everything at once.
But what was interesting was that this guy was in a relaxed and reflective emotional state. His cognitive thoughts were clear and ready for new music to be introduced to him.
When I am on holiday, I get a chance to discover new music and albums I would never listen to during my personal rush hour. I also have Shazam ready whenever I hear new tracks in shops or restaurants just because being relaxed places my mind in a ready state for new music.
The funny thing is that sometimes the completely opposite thing happens where you just can’t get enough of the same song and it constantly runs on repeat. For more clarity and info scan through the article I published Why You Can’t Stop Listening To That One Song here.
When am I not open to new music?
People are generally closed to listening to new artists when they are in a rush, anxious, depressed or experiencing ADHD. Being concentrated or having an overloaded cognitive state also blocks your openness to listening to new music.
As a teacher, I don’t have an ear for new music when I need to correct work or plan lessons. It distracts me completely and I am more tend to make mistakes and be inaccurate.
During these concentrating phases, I need to either have silence or a consistent sound in my ears so that I can focus and get the job done.
Perhaps the article I wrote about Why Teachers Use Music In Their Classrooms where I share the top opportunities to introduce music and musical activities to my kids in my classroom.
Another reason might be that you find yourself in a mental comfort zone. You are in a phase where you are enjoying your old songs and when you try something new, it just doesn’t stick like the old music did.
The best is to just give yourself some time to get through your busy mental phase and let the cognitive functionality recover as you reach the end of the busier phase.
When Does Familiar Music Play an Advantage?
- When we’re upset and need mental comfort
- When we need concentration or focus endurance
- Organised events or socials
When Should I Introduce My New Music to a Label?
I am an in-person type of guy, but we’re not always allowed to enter the premises or reach a label as a normal civilian. But I still have a few key tips for you:
- Hand your music in a format that can be listened to in the office, and also in the car.
- This will give the gatekeeper more chances to actually spend more than 2 minutes on your music.
- Send the new music at the end of the week.
- When the to-do lists are shorter and then nearing the end of the week, their minds are closing in on the downtime phase.
- Three months before summer
- So that it can be released when people are on holiday, being in their relaxed state of mind.
- I just released an album during the winter holiday time, so I’m curious to see how it will perform!
If you are planning on releasing new music, don’t miss my free 30-day release guide to support you with building hype around your new song! Your Social Media Plan to Build a Hype 30 Days Before the Single Release can be found here.
I hope you found what you searched for!
You might be interested in some of my other articles:
- The Best Age to Learn an Instrument
- The Hardest Things About Being In an Independent Band
- 17 Is the Golden Age to Become a Musician
Until next time!