Come on. Tell the truth. You think music can be noisy--at least sometimes. What do you mean, you might ask? Here's what I mean.
I can listen to most music--except opera. Last year, my wife and I were at a resort in Mexico. Every night, we had a different à la carte. The one restaurant that I wanted to avoid was the Italian one. It wasn't the food; I loved the food. It was the opera. Three guys in the restaurant went table to table, sharing their talents in opera style. To me, opera is noise. It's over-stimulating and overwhelming. But not to everyone. Some people get lost in the passion of opera. They find inspiration and enjoyment in listening to it.
Our perception of what's noise or not drives our musical preferences. Genres play a significant role in that. I love rock music--my favorite--but often find it overwhelming to play metal. At certain times, I can enjoy a hip-hop beat. But, many times, I'd instead just hit the off button. How about you? How do your tastes determine what is noise and what is not to you?
My wife and I enjoy music, but our listening habits drastically differ. As I said already, I can play music most of the time. My wife prefers quiet--especially at night time. What's interesting here is that my wife gets upset if she hears unsolicited music. To her, any music is noise--even if I'm playing music she enjoys. To her, music overwhelms the senses and stresses her body out. She has to prepare herself to listen to music. She has to choose to listen to it, not have anyone just play it.
When introducing my wife to new music, I must ensure that I'm acquainted with it first. Introducing her to new music without knowing it myself would not be fair. When I know the song, I can gauge whether she'll like it by listening to it first. Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no.
I'll admit that even pleasant music can become noise if it's too loud. During a workout, I love my hard rock to break a sweat. Hard rock is not the music of choice at night to help me sleep. It's usually pop or Christian contemporary music. Music too loud at night can make me a little grouchy. Music is fine at restaurants at a lower volume. Too high, and you can barely hear what your friend is trying to say.
Make yourself aware of what music you find noisy and what you don't find noisy. More importantly, be sensitive to others who might see your choice of music as an annoyance. Play at the correct times--when you and others can enjoy it, not when it bothers others.
Philippians 2:3-4: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."
Paul Phillips is a Canadian journalist with 20 years of experience writing and editing digital and print content. He specializes in health, fitness, nutrition, and travel. He loves music, movies, and, of course, living for Jesus.
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