Estoy lista

I’m ready

I’m a Music Freak

The chart is hard to read, but it’s just different genres of music, with arrows pointing to examples of musicians of each genre. Of course some artists can be put into different categories, ie. Taylor Swift is both country and pop. For the most part it’s an accurate chart of genres that exists in the world. I’m sure there are more though.

Some people like only a certain genre while others like everything…except one genre. Know someone like that? He/she says, “I like all types of music except (insert genre here).” I’ve heard people say that before, so their statement of liking all types of music is false, because they would love everything. From a musician standpoint, I remember reading somewhere that a true musician appreciates all genres–they don’t have to like every genre under the sun, but know that it’s there for a reason.

I’m like that. When I was growing up my parents only listened to the oldies station, so I was constantly hearing The Temptations, The Mammas & The Papas, Rod Stewart, Barry Manilow…Whenever an oldies concert was in town the three of us would go. (I remember one was so boring that I was falling asleep). I never understood why they liked all that, until I got older and listened to those oldies again. One song that I LOVED was “Windy” by The Association (an episode of Breaking Bad featured it, and I instantly recalled all of the words and how it went. I downloaded it).

I think our musical tastes are heavily influenced, if not directly given, by others. I discovered a love for The Beatles after starting guitar lessons, where my teacher gave me “old songs,” including a few by the Fab Four. Through him I unearthed classic rock and to this day it’s my favorite genre, as is his. John Mayer introduced me to the blues thanks to his John Mayer Trio, and I stumbled upon folk/singer/songwriter musicians on my own. I’m also into rap (Eminem is #1 for me), disco (Bee Gees), musical numbers (Phantom of the Opera, Wicked) and R&B (Stevie Wonder, Little Richard). I go all over the board when it comes to music. My iPod covers a very wide range of genres. I even have (Spanish) Shakira songs because I was prepping for my Spanish classes and wanted to hear what Spanish music sounded like! 🙂

The great thing about music is that each genre is influenced by each other, so it’s hard to differentiate between certain ones (at least to my ears). Music has changed through the times and formed new musical genres, like instead of straight blues and rock, bands started to experiment and created the blues rock genre in the mid-1960s. And there’s psychedelic rock, punk blues…all kinds of fusions are part of this huge mass enjoyment that is music. It’s pretty neat if you think about it or go looking through your iPod.

Do you like only one genre or are you like me and enjoy everything, and I mean everything?

Knowing another Language

I’m like most people, and that I only speak English but know a few phrases in other languages. In high school I took Spanish, but hated the teacher so I switched to Japanese. (I should have stayed in Espanol). Japanese was rough! But I did my two years. In college I decided to give Spanish another try, and after repeating 101 and 201 twice, I realized that Spanish was getting harder. I came to the conclusion that I was not bestowed the gift of learning another language, unlike a cousin who knows five! A friend also has a knack for languages.

I’m jealous.

However, I’m taking note now of how important it is to learn (and retain) another language. In Hawaii, Japan is our largest market for tourists, and if you can speak both English and Japanese you can get work anywhere in Waikiki and Ala Moana. Up on the mainland (what we Hawaii people call the continental United States), it’s Spanish. I noticed that in California, how knowing Spanish can get someone pretty far in terms of a job and in life. You know about another culture by speaking the native language. Being bilingual is beneficial.

But since I’m not being forced to learn a language, I now want to do take the time to do so at my own pace. Maybe I am capable of learning a language, just not in a classroom: I always wanted to learn Italian, and thank goodness for me having an Italian auntie who can teach me. Or I can learn on my own. I can go back and put those Spanish books to good use again. (When I was watching Breaking Bad (I finally finished it, by the way!) I brushed up on my Spanish due to the dialogue between some characters and English subtitles). Or, who knows, maybe I’ll take a gander at Japanese, for a second time.

Do you speak a second language? Or even a third? If so, what are they?