Connection between Individualism Music

It is very interesting to examine the large changes in how people experience music today compared to just a few decades ago. I’m not sure if the manifestations of music have significantly contributed to the individualistic ideology of youth today, or if it is simply a byproduct of individualism. Most of the concerts that I have attended within the past years fall under the indie-folk genre, and I have observed that the fans are exceptionally individualistic. Concerts seem to be progressively becoming less of a group experience. There seems to be almost no common ground of music interest that my generation can bond over. People now identify themselves greatly by the type of music they listened to, and it is one of the first questions asked when meeting someone new. When bands are unknown people bond especially well when they discover that they share this common interest. Music has become a competitive subject. I think this is a strange concept. The i-pod is an extension of this and is a contributor to the isolation that music listening has seemingly created. People not only use i-pods in their private time, but it seems to serve as a social crutch. At meals people often listen to their i-pods, (as well as during conversations) , and this provides the comfort of allows one to be entirely selective in the conversation without fully engaging. Never before have people been able to “check out” so easily. I have also noticed people listening to their i-pods as they walk down the street, and it seems to add a cinematic quality to their lives.