Music To My Ears

Music; we all know what it is and I'm sure that it most likely plays a big role in your life as well as it does to mine. The way I look at it is, if you have a specific genre or type of music that you like, then you are normal! Everybody should have their own taste in everything, and no matter what you like to listen to you are no different than anybody else. However your opinion on this topic may be biased, and you have to be wary of this. Independence only sprouts from realization.

I haven't always felt this way. Until I had an eye opening experience the summer before I made it to high school. My best friend at the time, Steve, was meeting me at the spot where we always met. “Yo Angelo!”, Steve greeted me with a weird look, one by which I could tell that something was up. “Hey man.”, I simply replied. From then on that hot summer day was a game changer to me. As we walked around the neighborhood I offered to put some tunes on. He agreed as usual. This is where the red flag went up. Normally Steve and I would jam out to the same type of music, rock, but that day just had to be different. I put on a song that we both liked, and Steve wasn't happy with it. “Angelo you definitely need some diversity in your music taste.” Those ten words hit me hard, that moment was when I realized I had a bias. A bias toward rock n’ roll.

Although, a short while after that, I found myself talking to Steve less and less, and it made me wonder. “Is my bias so strong, that it could tear friendships apart?” Deep stuff, but I decided that since it was my personality and that I might as well leave it alone, and go with the flow.

I’m not the only one with a music bias though. A while back when I would go to concerts like all the time. I was in line at the TLA (Theatre of Living Arts) waiting for admission into a rock concert. When the person behind me began to play some music. Hip Hop, Rap, R&B whatever you wanna call it. I did not like it. Neither did my friends, who turned around and asked the guy, “Why are you even in line for this concert if you're listening to rap?” The man just looked at us in disbelief. That’s when I realized. Even if we’re in line for a Pierce the Veil concert, people are allowed to listen to whatever they want to. Wherever they are. No matter what anybody has to say about it. I also realized there, that without hesitation I would have said the same thing to that man.

Music or no music we're all still human. And if you think about it we're not that different. Most of us just like to be different sometimes, and that usually involves bias. Just like Steve when he told me that I needed some diversity in my music taste. Either the people around you or somebody that you are close with will usually point it out to you.  Every single one of us has to realize that if you have an opinion on something, like I do with Music, it sometimes is better to just not say anything. Or at least think about what you're going to say before you say it.

After finding out and realizing that I had a bias, I decided to see if there was any other biases that I was hiding. I found one taking the Gender Science I.A.T. test directly from Harvard University. I learned that I am slightly biased toward men over females. Now that I know this, I can better plan ahead for someones else’s bias and mine colliding in an unorderly fashion. The more knowledge you pertain about your own bias, the better.