Rec Request: Music

[forestofglory]

I'm not very musical. I have an auditory processing disorder and I've always kinda treated music as some kind of sound emotion magic that doesn't really work on me. When I was younger people used to ask me what type of music I listened to and I would embarrassedly mumble that I didn't. Thankfully no one had asked me that in a while.

However I've in the last several years I've made friends with other people with auditory processing problems who listen to music and it's made me wonder if I could enjoy that too. I want to learn more about music, so I'm doing a project.

Every day for the month of June I'm going to listen to a new song. And as I have very little idea of what I like I’m asking all of you to please recommend some music you enjoy. It can be anything. I’m trying to learn and experience new things! If you can please write a bit about why you like the song or what it means to you -- I find it easier to engage with music when I have some context for it.

I know listening 30 songs isn’t going to make up for all my unmusical years but hopefully I will find some things that I like, and some things to explore further.

Comments

[worlds_of_smoke]

People with APD unite! -offers fistbump-

I have such a wide music taste that I'm not sure what to recommend. XD But I can tell you what I like about music to help narrow down what you might like?

[forestofglory]

yay! -accepts fistbump-

Thank you! Reading a bit about why you like music would be super helpful!

[worlds_of_smoke]

The short version is pick out the parts you can focus on, the ones that make sense. I tend to focus on things like the bass line in Marilyn Manson songs or the piano and supporting strings in Tori Amos songs or how Layne and Jerry's voices harmonize in Alice in Chains songs. I mean, my most favorite lyric of all time is my favorite is because of how it's delivered. I'm eventually going to get the lyrics tattooed on my arm whenever I can decide on a font, because the lyrics are gorgeous too. But it's the delivery that gets me. The rhythm just makes my spine shiver in a good way. I won't link up the video because the story of the video is centered around the lead singer considering suicide on the edge of a bridge, but it's part of the chorus of "Silver and Cold" by AFI ("As a rapturous voice escapes, I will tremble a prayer and beg for forgiveness") if you're interested in looking it up.

I also got to a point where I was just... okay with misunderstanding lyrics. I mean, people do it all the time. There are bands that I've been listening to for decades and, when I look up the lyrics, I go "holy fuck, I have that so fucking wrong." XD But being okay with misunderstanding lyrics only goes so far. I won't listen to music where there's absolutely no chance for me to at least semi-understand the lyrics without looking them up. So a lot of heavy metal with Cookie Monster singing is just not my thing.

If you're not okay with messing up the lyrics, listening to the song along with reading the lyrics online helps them click so much better. You may need to do it a couple times for it to stick, but it definitely helps things out!

Also, headphones are a GODSEND, especially if they are good at blocking out surrounding sound.

[forestofglory]

This is so helpful, thank you!

[worlds_of_smoke]

Not a problem at all! :) Music is kind of my life, so if I can help someone learn to like it, I'm happy to help.

Another thing that might help is to just let the music be in the background. I almost always have music going unless Jenn is in the room watching TV or I'm having a particularly bad pain/brain day and it just feels like too much input. (If that even remotely makes sense. XD) Trying to focus on the music might lead to being overwhelmed by input.

Also, you might want to start out with soft music without a lot of distortion or complicated instrumental parts. I love metal, but it's not something that I would necessarily recommend to people just getting into music if they have APD because the guitars might come off as noise and overwhelm your brain. In fact, I often avoid metal if it's a bad pain/brain/mental health day, simply because of the extra input that comes with distorted guitars and all that is a bit too much, even if I know the lyrics by heart. It takes up too many spoons when there's that much input.

As far as actual recommendations go, this just came up on my music player. :)

[forestofglory]

Thank you again! (Also that song is beautiful)