[author image=”http://echo.snu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/CullenJones.jpg”] Cullen Jones, Staff Contributor
Cullen is currently a junior at Southern Nazarene University and majors in Mass Communication. He is an urban explorer and photographer from Oklahoma City, and enjoys all things related to art and music. [/author]
It’s a fact: everyone likes music. Some enjoy different genres than others and some love every kind that’s out there. There comes a point in time where your favorite music starts to get old and repetitive, leaving you on a search for new music. Fear not my friends–I have a few suggestions to help you with your quest.
I’m a music nerd. I love everything about every type of music. I can listen to basically any genre out there and still find myself enjoying it. Sadly, I was not born with a single musically talented bone in my body, so I am merely a consumer. I’m okay with that! I like to study and analyze the different types of music. Whether it is a slow, storytelling country song or an old school hip-hop beat, I can appreciate it all.
When I first became interested in music, I didn’t know where to begin. People would ask me my favorite genre or who my favorite artist(s) were and I never had an answer. I came to a conclusion that there is so much music out there that I will never get tired of it. I realized that I could make a hobby out of discovering new music, which I did.
My advice to those who are always looking for new music is to start with one genre at a time. It can be a little overwhelming trying to discover what you like while you’re invested in multiple genres at once. When you have a specific genre in mind, Google search some artists similar to (fill in the blank). That way you can do some research based off someone you already enjoy listening to. Then, get to know the artist. Listen to the albums in their entirety; don’t just pick and choose songs. That’s a big mistake a lot of people make at first when discovering new artists.
The key is to be patient and open minded with their work. You will start to realize how special and unique some musicians/bands can be. Another, much simpler, way to discover new music is through apps like Pandora and Spotify. They create specialized playlists for you based on certain songs you like from that specific genre. Spend time listening to these playlists and make sure to create playlists of your own!
My last piece of advice would be to attend concerts. There’s nothing quite like a live performance from a musician or band that you enjoy. Often times, these bands will have opening acts. These opening acts are typically some lower-level artists (as far as their popularity goes) who are currently on the rise. The opening acts are obviously from the same genre as well, so it’s just another form of discovery.
If anyone has any questions or would like to go more in depth about discovering new music, I would love to talk! You can email me at cujones@mail.snu.edu .