Everyone is different: tastes, habits, needs, wants etc. It stands to reason that everyone does things differently and treats things differently. Music is no exception. So how do different people use music in their lives?
Some people use music for a soundtrack to their lives while others use it as background noise and I know people who don’t really even like music.
I personally use music as a soundtrack to my life. I carefully pick and queue exactly what I need to make the moment feel a specific way and make sure it fits the vibe. Sometimes I let my playlists shuffle and I get a surprise but it almost always is still part of the soundtrack style I strive for.
If I have a bomb fit on and I feel really good about myself, I’ll usually have music in my earbuds that reflects that. Same with if I’m driving to campus on a rainy autumn morning. I need the music I listen to to reflect how I feel and how I am as a person. This is what makes life rich for me.
Not everyone is this way. I know people who like to listen to music on a complete shuffle and skip songs if they just aren’t feeling them. They just have them going and roll with whatever comes on for the most part. For them, their playlist is almost like a radio station of randomness and variety. One of my friends has a playlist of over 25 hours worth of music and they just play it on shuffle. This method of listening to music, as in just rolling and vibing with what’s already on, is exactly what music on the radio is all about. Listeners are there for the newness, the mystery, the intrigue of new music. It is a beautiful thing in essence.
Lastly, there are some people who just don’t really like music. I know some people who can listen to music for a little bit but shortly after, it just becomes noise to them. It’s perfectly okay to feel this way. Not everyone has to like music. What matters is that when they do feel like listening to music, they have something that they’re going to enjoy. That could mean having a set playlist of the same four songs or it could mean going along with whatever is playing over the radio.
Music has been an influential part of so many people’s lives. It’s interesting to think about just how differently people use music and how differently people need music in their lives.
— dj dragonfly
