How to Be Musically Cultured
Ever been in a circle of hipsters and find yourself unable to speak because you don't know a thing about music? Here's how to hold your own.
EditSteps
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1Favorite a bunch of music review websites, such as Pitchfork, Stereogum, etc. on your laptop/ computer.Ad
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2Browse through the music/ new arrivals to see which ones you have a liking towards. Find a song/band you like, and see if you can find similar genres.
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3Find a couple of bands you like, and learn as much as you can about them. Album names, band members, music styles are all important things to know about your favorite bands.
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4Memorize a couple of songs, so when people sing lyrics you can name the band. (Remember the scene in 500 Days of Summer when Summer remarks on Tom's music?)
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5Enjoy your conversation.Ad
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EditTips
- Learn influences such as oldies so that you can understand the music better and seem more well-rounded.
- Branch out to different types of music; try new things and develop a taste for interesting sounds. Don't be afraid to listen to unconventional music, but that doesn't mean you have to like everything you listen to.
- Youtube is your friend.
EditWarnings
- Don't try to seem like you know everything; doing this will make you seem like a braggart and annoy the people you are conversing with.
- Unless you are fully confident you know a lot about music, never say you really like a band/genre. If asked to talk about it, you might reveal yourself as a fraud/noob.
- Don't talk too much about something if the other person isn't as enthusiastic.
- Don't criticize someone's music tastes too harshly. That will come off as elitist and snobby.
- Don't rely too heavily on music reviews. If you base those as your reasons for liking/disliking a band you will come off as a hipster who's desperate to be cool.
EditThings You'll Need
- An iTunes library
- A nice pair of headphones