Spoiler Alert: there's a cure.
We have all heard a friend, foe, or even heard ourselves say, “man, I just don’t seek out new music anymore,” or, “I can’t listen to the music coming out these days.”
Unfortunately, this trend is actually backed by some hard numbers. I read an article recently that claimed, and supported with statistical data, most people stop seeking new music by age 30. I was appalled by this ridiculous claim at first, but the more I thought about it, I realized I too had been attacked by this dreaded musical paralysis, which creeps across the land plaguing thirty-somethings ‘round the globe.
It’s a sad fact to come to terms with, but in order to fix a problem we have to first acknowledge its existence.
Don’t worry, this is not your fault, nor should you feel like you have done anything wrong to cause your musical paralysis.
As we grow older, there are a number of things that happen to us, all of which can compromise our musical tastes, how much time we dedicate to listening, our connection to music in general, etc.
For instance, most young people do the majority of their music listening in the car; there has always been something particularly liberating and inspiring about this ritual. As we age, however, our ears start to hurt from the way our car traps sound; we have to take phone calls too often while driving; maybe we’re driving around with our kids in the back seat and if we happen to be listening to music at all, it’s children’s music. All of the above distance us from music.
Another issue with listening in today’s world is the quality of our sound systems.
Don’t get me wrong, technology has come a long way and there are some incredible sound systems out there, but most of them are too expensive for the typical consumer.
And let’s be honest, although technology has advanced to allow for some incredible systems to be made, it has also allowed for some terrible ones. To our great misfortune, the most accessible systems also tend to be the lesser quality ones: inexpensive earbuds, laptop speakers, PHONE SPEAKERS! Yes, these systems make it easy to access music, but they don’t let you experience it.
Remember the days when every experience you ever had was tied to a song?
Think back to when you got your first car. What did you listen to on that first solo drive? What did you listen to the first night you went off to college? What were you listening to after your first heartbreak? When we were young, every moment was highlighted with music, and that very music (scientifically speaking) is part of why we remember those moments so well. Music and the human condition go hand in hand; they were made for one another.
So how do we break free of this sudden musical paralysis?
Like any other relationship, we have to TRY.
We have to make time for music; plan dates...seriously! Set aside an hour every night to listen to music, or how about instead of watching so much Netflix, we listen to one old album and one new album. Rediscovering our old favorites is just as important as seeking out the new. We have to get excited about music again, and in order to do that, we need to be able to hear it in a new way. That’s where Audioengine comes in…
Audioengine speakers have an award-winning soundstage that lets us hear details we’ve been missing for years.
Right now, you probably think you’ve heard your old favorites so many times, you know everything happening at every moment. Audioengine’s mission is to change that. When you start jamming to the classics on Audioengine speakers, you will hear ear-candy you didn’t even know was there, new instruments will pop up out of nowhere, the vocals will speak seem to converse with the strings and the entire work will have new life. This also applies to newer music.
Everyone likes to criticize this “crazy music the kids are listening to,” but the truth is, there is actually some really brilliant work being done this day and age... granted, it’s hard to tell when you’re blasting your laptop speakers into oblivion. Maybe the reason a lot of us stopped seeking out new music is that we lost faith in our ears, not in the music itself.
Music is vital to human life. It shapes our lives and our memories. It gives character to us every day, and it helps define us as individuals. We have a responsibility to maintain our zest for music, new and old. Music has done so much for us, and we would be remiss to take it for granted. But it takes effort sometimes. It takes dedication and persistence to get that fire blazing again. Audioengine is a great start. Our systems will, undoubtedly, open new doors and remind your ears and hearts how they used to feel. So take the first step today, and start experiencing your music on Audioengine Powered Speakers.
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