When is the last time you can remember listening to music for the sole purpose of appreciating and enjoying the music without multi-tasking? As I walk down Fullerton at 8 in the morning, I hear a multitude of songs playing from clip-on-speakers singing Tchaikovsky to a decked out Mazda 5 bumping down the street to the new hit Migos single–but no matter what genre, the music is the background to their day; the countless hours that artists spend in studio have been reduced to a fly on ones shoulder that can be flicked off at anytime should it become a slight inconvenience.
Like any book, movie, musical, or video game, these art forms are meant to be appreciated in a specific setting at a certain time without any other actions happening. Music used to also be this way; however as playback became readily available people preferred a speaker to keep them company while cooking dinner rather than being the main entertainment. This idea that music is the second class citizen of one’s day makes me feel as though this lack of attention is becoming the norm.
Music has changed from being a once in a lifetime experience to something that keeps someone company on their commute to the office. And this may not be a problem; however when I ask my opening question and get a response of “I don’t know” or “I was too busy”, I am disheartened that an artist’s work has been reduced to a job that could be accomplished by a talking rock. And I am not trying to say that hell is imminent should you continue to walk to work with earbuds in, but being conscious of the balance between companionship and the purpose of music is vital to getting the most out of a musical experience.
