Why do we stop listening to new music as we get older?

I have always said you are only as old as your music. A lot of my friends and family are attracted to what they heard while going to school and don’t progress from. For myself, I am constantly searching for new music even though I am now in my seventies. There is a lot of good music coming out everyday.

A couple of reasons we might stop listening to new music could be that your ex(es) left, took anything (and, everything) that could be flipped for cash, and the most musically satisfying device in your current possession is an LG sound bar. And, you’ve misplaced the %^)%#’d!! remote control?

But, seriously:

Let’s flip this 179 degrees (almost the opposte direction -- but, not quite).

What if we create a NEW topic, ask members what they find most "musically satisfying" and then assist them with exploring NEW music that has some of those elements? The scope could also include what musical(?) elements make them want to rush out of the room.

Examples:

Likes: Music with major chords. Good vocals. Something you can tap your toes to. Sing along with. Musical genuious helpful, but not required. Texture. Rhythm. Ccmplexity when not expected. Simplicity at just the right times. Musical intros and breaks that "go with the music" - not to show off the dexterity of the artist. Lyrics and themes you can share with others -- especially family. Being a gifted poetic is helpful. Beautiful music, artfully crafted. Drama: not in-your-face, but in contrast to delicacy and nuance skillfully woven into the piece. Dynamic contrast. Musical "hooks" -- the more the merrier.

Dislikes: repetition. Monotones. Monorhytms: "Hey, if I wanted to hear the same song over and over again, I’d just cue up Hotel California and put it on repeat!!" Uneven order harmonics for extended periods of time. Loud, and louder. Lyrics that you wouldn’t repeat at your grandkid’s high school graduation party.

Response from members: "Based on what you listed, you might like ..... It’s experimental, but worth checking out." Another member: "Well, this guy never set his guitar on fire on stage, but he’s pretty good."

This method may extract/filter an interest in NEW music for old codgers?

It’s not the same now…I can’t get into a lot of the new stuff. I love 50s 60 70s jazz, soul r&b rock in its hey day 70s and 80s. Today most of the pop/rock sounds bland without soul. Thank god there’s still plenty of the music of that era to keep exploring. 

I just can't find much new music that catches my interest.Oh how I wish I could

One of my favorite radio stations is local WTMD - Towson State, MD - college radio.  I grew up in the 1970’s listening to WUSF “The Underground Railroad” outta Tampa, FL, and KFAT 94.5 Gilroy, CA, then others like Bayern 3 München or whatever country uncle sam sent me to for many years. Sure, some of the sounds can be annoying, but I find some things are still satisfying, and with digital services I can buy what I want, mix and match, not have to buy the whole record although I do sometimes.

Local college radio station WTMD is great for sampling. I use ENCORE app a LOT to figure out what’s playing (if I can’t log on for the playlist).

At 66, I’ve collected nearly everything Stephen Wilson and Porcupine tree, God is an Astronaut (my son and I went to one of their shows in DC 3 years ago, SRO and my arthritic knees are still complaining but it was awesome), we saw Forever the Sickest Kids a few years earlier, All Time Low, and I also have Jazz going back to 1920s (oldest LP is from 1949). I probably own 20 King Crimson LP’s, a dozen Todd Rundgren, then most of Flash, Genesis, Humble Pie, dozens of Shelley Manne, Miles Davis and  I rarely miss listening to Hot Jazz Saturday Night on WAMU FM or streaming, too.

My musical tastes are, one might say, a little eclectic.

I think this really depends on the spirit of the person. Some people are like that with books, too. 

I got that way with television though years ago. In the words of my neighbor Herr Hermann Hegele (a one-time medic in WW1) regarding TV “das is Mist” (“mist” being local slang for the liquified human waste sprayed on farms). 

But music, even 18th century performances of old dead white guys, never gets old, only we do.