What kind of conversation is this?

I’ve come across the odd punter now and then who has a conceived notion in their minds of what real music is, as if you can incontrovertibly distinguish one type of music from another.

What does real music even mean?

Not much in short, and to summarise music, it is a combination of frequencies and silence, either prepared, captured, controlled or even just observed. Beyond that, anything goes.

And to often, we are so eager to categorise things that we end up creating a tunnel vision of what we accept as real or not and in some ways missing out on the opportunity to engage with different versions of an art form. In many ways, we compromise so much and as a result, the things that dominate become watered down mediocrity.

I’ve had some people argue the toss with me that instrumental music isn’t as worthwhile as lyrical music.

How about dismissing the entire history of classical music or film music or jazz records with one notion?

Real music is a non-concept and merely a sign of dogma when it comes to taste. And if you find yourself making this argument, it might be you who is missing out on what’s available to be experienced.

And music like life itself, is experienced better without any prejudice.