He’s a Music Man
Music has been a major part of my life. It has brought me so much joy. One of the great things about having ADHD on top of high-functioning autism is that I have a wide variety of music tastes. It ranges from classical, folk, and jazz to hardcore punk and metal. It’s great because I rarely run out of music to listen to and don’t get bored. And if I do, then I look for something else to listen to to mix things up.
As I mentioned, music is a major part of my life. I played piano off-and-on for nearly a decade and learned basic music theory. I played and listened to a lot of baroque, classical, and romantic music growing up. I remember spending countless hours playing piano scales and learning to memorize music for tests and recitals which took up a lot of my time growing up. Although I don’t play anymore by choice, I have grown to appreciate music, especially music that is musically complex and technical.
Ever since I was in my youth, I loved heavy music. My older brother introduced me to a lot of punk rock bands that he listened to in high school. I had coworkers and other friends that introduced me to heavy metal and I instantly got hooked. I was introduced to bands like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden. To name a few, I love death metal, doom metal, and even Viking/folk metal! I was, and still am, mind-blown by this genre of music. I mostly listen to metal bands in Europe from every era since the 70s to now!
There are quite literally dozens upon dozens of subgenres within the metal genre and I listen to most of them. There is something beautiful, even soothing for me. Metal in general since is viewed by the mainstream as controversial. It is the most misunderstood form of music. There definitely are songs about Satan, blood/gore, and other intense stuff, but that is few and far between and also depends on what and who you are listening to. I throw down to these more intense forms, but there are tons of bands and genres that dive deep into the human condition and even have positive messages. It is a type of music that resonates with a lot of people, especially the ones deemed as social outcasts. Not saying that I am a social outcast or anything haha.
I love the technicality, complexity, and brutality of this form of music. A lot of these musicians come from classical, blues, and jazz backgrounds where they study music theory. Since I have a classical piano background, I appreciate musically stimulating music like metal. It is modern-day classical music, with heavy guitars, drums, and vocals. For me, it’s very therapeutic. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea so I usually only listen to it when I’m alone or with people that enjoy it like me.
I also love folk music, especially traditional folk. Celtic, Scandinavian, Spanish Flamenco, Japanese, Chinese Zen, you name it. I love all sorts of traditional music. These are just a few to not bore you to death. Gregorian monk chants are amazing too. I love these types of music and they teleport me into another plane of existence. A realm where I can escape from the stresses of reality and just relax.
Scandinavian music resonates with my soul. There is a surge of amazing musicians from this area of Europe that create soul-stirring, goosebump-inducing music. Since I have an obsessive love for this culture and its history, I feel a close kinship to this type of music. I don’t understand a single word, but I like it that way since it comes off as more authentic to me. I love listening to this type of folk, especially to get me hyped for larping/reenacting. Celtic and Scandinavian folk music is close to me and I think the reason why it evokes such an emotional response to me is because most of my ancestry comes from these areas of the world. It feels like I teleport back in time to when they were alive. I understand that may sound odd, but that is how I feel. I’ve heard people with various forms of autism that music can have that kind of effect on them.
Don’t go away just yet. I hope I haven’t scared you off yet. Don’t get me wrong, I am a normal guy, well sort of. I like a lot of popular music too. Just not country or modern pop. These aren’t my jam. I feel the same way about some hip-hop too. I grew up in a family that didn’t listen to it and that may be a reason as to why I don’t care for it. Or maybe it’s because of how popular it is. I was raised mostly on rock music so listening to bands mostly from the 60s to the early 2000s is what I listen to.
I also love listening to jazz and I still listen to classical too. These forms of music I listen to when I’m studying or feeling a bit melancholy, especially when I listen to jazz. It’s the perfect type of music for driving around on a rainy day or a late night. It soothes the soul it’s a great way for me to chill. I highly recommend listening to it if you are looking for something calm that’s different from what you are currently listening to.
Folk, bluegrass, and blues are great as well. Songwriting is a newfound love that I have. Greats like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Simon and Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, and Cat Stevens are gods when it comes to songwriting. It is an art to create a beautiful poem or message and be able to add it into music form. And these music genres do just that. These forms of music heavily influenced rock and metal believe it or not.
So yeah, music is a big part of who I am. I absolutely love it. And if there are types of music that I don’t like, I still have an appreciation for the talent that is used to create it. There is a reason why certain music is popular. I don’t have to like it in order to appreciate it. So thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and what I love. You can learn much about a person based on their music tastes. Me, I’m a bit of a wildcard in that regard haha. Anyway, thanks again for reading and I hope it helps you understand the appeal of certain types of music and more about what makes me who I am.
