Tori Brown
Professor Ivey
Foundations: Art and Design
October 29, 2017
Reflective Essay
I was asked to listen to, and reflect on, two blocks of videos. The first block of videos was composed of the rock bands: My Bloody Valentine, Lush, and Cocteau Twins. The second block of videos was composed of Brazilian musicians: Vinícius de Moraes, Caetano Veloso, and Tom Zé. After listening to video blocks one and two, I felt sincerely unnerved and did not enjoy the experience; because, for many of the songs -especially in block one- I could not understand what the artists were saying, and I felt that the music had a hypnotic quality that I did not enjoy. Additionally, for many of the artists –especially in block two- I preferred the background music to the actual singing.
I previously mentioned that after listening to a few songs from the artists in block one, I felt uncomfortable; after contemplating this, I have come up with a few reasons to explain my discomfort. One reason, is that the way the artists sang in this block, either made them sound very high pitched or very far away. As a result of this, I couldn’t understand the lyrics and felt somewhat lost. For me, I prefer music to be a communal experience, where I feel at one with the music and become a part of the artwork, but because I felt like I was lost, I didn’t experience that connection with the music. Another reason, is that the background music felt very psychedelic and trippy to me, and that, combined with the confusing singing, made me feel even more out of place, and almost like someone was trying to hypnotize me. While this sensation the music causes may be enjoyable for other people, I just wanted to shut it off. I think this effect that the music has, may be similar to ASMR, which is another auditory and sensory experience that is enjoyable for some, but very disconcerting for others.
On the other hand, I had an easier time listening to the artists in block two; however, it still wasn’t music that I felt very attached to, nor was something I wanted to listen to again. While I still couldn’t understand the lyrics that were being sung, it didn’t cause that same feeling of discomfort that the other block did. I believe that this is due to the fact that the lyrics were being sung clearly, even if they were in a different language. Additionally, I preferred the background music to the actual vocals. I found this to be especially prominent when I listened to Tom Zé. I really enjoyed the beat and flow of the music, I just was not fond of his particular vocal style.
The music of these particular artists was not something I could fully immerse myself into, because of my own person discomfort, and my inability to form a connection with the music while listening to it. I am by no means saying that this music is bad, or that there wasn’t care, time, and effort put into it. I believe that these musicians are talented, it’s just not my personal taste.