Music = Danger

I see that I have drawn your attention with my ambiguous and enticing title…

Music does equal danger. Why? One word: obsession. Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

Like any other human being, I am capable of having obsessions. Some last for a few days, and others last for years.

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A list of some of my obsessions:

• novelty socks (cough…I have a drawer full of maybe fifty pairs)
• novelty pillows:              
• novelty anything, really:            
• tacos (this has been going on for years, but now I even have a taco piñata in my dorm)
• dinosaurs (since birth, probably)
• synthesizers
• and finally…music (woah, really?)
  

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  Restating my title, music equals danger, and here is why:

• I see people all the time walking around with earbuds/headphones/airpods. Some never take them off; they probably sleep with them in/on. I used to criticize them in my head because they are never aware of anything. But, one week, I walked to class with my headphones on, and I understood. Note: once you start; you never go back. I got out while I still could, though.
• Do not even get me started about listening to the same song on repeat for an hour. No.
• Spending hundreds, even thousands, to hear music performed live.
• Selling your kidneys for rare records.
• Probably crying because your favorite band broke up.
• Buying 10+ shirts from one band.
• Centering your life around a singer or a band.
• Spending more time listening to music than interacting with the world.
• Becoming irritated at people initiating conversation; they are distracting you from listening to your favorite album.
• Memorizing lyrics more readily than math equations.
• Researching everything about a band and typing a blog post that you will regret.

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I spent my entire Christmas break researching synthesizers (and Tears for Fears) like an idiot. How did this happen? Well, once upon a time…

I heard a song on the radio that had a nice beat. I looked up “synth riffs” to find it. In short, I never found the song (I forgot all about it), but I did find a newfound interest: synthesizers. I started with covers, and then I moved on from there. And after many articles and tutorials, I decided that I needed one.

The Novation MiniNova:

I would love to have this. It costs nearly four hundred dollars, but that is reasonable for a nice synthesizer. I know that people recommend the Korg Microkorg more, but this one makes more sense to me (plus it does not have the blocky text matrix of the Microkorg). One day I will be able to have one of these in my possession… I know that synthesizers are not instruments for beginners, but I have played a few instruments in my life (I am practically Mozart…totally). Anyway, I will keep you guys updated. Although I am unsure about when I will get a synthesizer, I do know that I will not come out of my room for weeks.

Beautiful but painfully expensive synths:

(Unintentionally, these are all by Roland (a popular brand))

   (one of the most expensive)

When I actually know what the heck I am doing, I might aim to have one of these in my possession (perhaps in at least a decade or so).

Some cool videos:

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Yes, music equals danger because you end up blogging about synthesizers; you end up wanting to spend all of your savings on a box of wires and buttons despite barely knowing the difference between a sawtooth wave and a sine wave. You scare everyone away because they think you only listen to two British guys with mullets.

Anyway…

(Side note: Why do people fight over music so much? Music critics are already brutal, but everyday people love to fiercely argue their point about random sounds.)

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A few songs with awesome synth worth mentioning:

(or, rather, songs I like that are currently on my mind)

(Disclaimer: I am sorry if you disagree with any of these songs or find them offensive. Also, these songs are not my favorites nor are they in my top ten. I only wanted to share interesting pieces of music that deserve recognition.)

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In conclusion, I believe that music is dangerous. For example, my life has become a vacuum of synth riffs, mullets, and music from forty years ago. Once absorbed into this black hole, you will never look at the girl who listens to “Don’t Stop Believing” on repeat the same again. You will hate how the radio plays the same four songs by Tears for Fears. You will hear an 80’s movie playing and know nearly every song. This is the price of happiness.

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One of the most influential new wave albums (I love):

New Order = absolutely amazing synth. (If you need more synthesizers in your life, listen to them.)

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Be aware that I am leaving out so many amazing musicians and their music. This blog does not mean to examine the most influential songs or the best. I only wanted to discuss the addictive nature of music and how it affects me.

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Wednesday’s Fun Fact:

Broccoli with flowers:

Peace out.