Behavior Change
I wanted to explore a more diverse palette of music. To accomplish this I found four of my least favorite genres of music (Country, Nu Metal, Reggaeton, and Banda). I looked up ten of the most acclaimed songs from each genre and made four different playlists. For two days, I then tracked changes in my music consumption behaviors. I checked how much I listened to music, how much I listened to each genre, the contexts in which I listened to these songs, and how I responded to them.
Connection Circle
For the connection circle I recorded how the different genres interacted with the rest of my life. Nu Metal filled my need for high energy music despite the fact that some of the songs in the playlist were very obnoxious. Some of the most enjoyable songs were from the Nu Metal which led to increased music time.
I surprisingly found myself listening to Country music during the quieter parts of the day. The songs on my playlist were not the modern country type of songs which I cannot stand but more along the lines of Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton.
The Reggaeton playlist was the most unlistenable. I avoided it after giving it one listen. The Banda playlist has some highlights and reminded me of attending loud family events when I was younger but I left with mostly neutral thoughts.
Feedback Loop
A feedback loop I found was how the kinds of music I listened to interacted with my eating and exercise cycle. For both days after eating lunch I walked around Lake Lag to digest. During these walks I enjoyed listening to high energy music. Nu Metal music was in rotation during this time. I would then get energized by the high energy music leading me to go to the gym. I would comeback to my room and after some tasks I would get hungry once more and eat. The only negative input would be Country music as it is more mellow and low energy.
Conclusion
Listening to a more diverse set of music was an interesting behavior change. I learned that some of genres I believed I disliked the most were actually quite good if you sift past the overly commercialized mediocrity. I also noticed that I recognized many of the songs from the Country and Nu Metal playlist from groups I actually enjoyed. I think that I had mentally distanced the disliked genre with songs I actually enjoyed as to ensure myself that “Of course this song isn’t X; I hate X.” Reggaeton and Banda still do not resonate with me. The song patterns and contents do not interest me and that did not change. Next time I could perhaps preview some of the music in certain genres to look for some qualities I find redeemable. I could also adjust the music I am allowed to listen to fit a more diverse set of settings. In addition, I could change the kind of media I consume in general from where I get my news, what social media I consume, and what shows I watch.
I enjoyed exposing myself to these genres. I will likely revisit some of the songs I enjoyed but I will be excited to return to the kind of music I enjoy and will let my taste in music evolve organically and gradually overtime.
