Music
The other day, I was on AmIrite.com. It’s one of my favorite websites to spend the time going through, because it’s nowhere near as dull as MLIA or FML are lately. One person said something to the extent of, ‘People who say music is their life but have never played an instrument are annoying, amirite?’, and almost everyone agreed. I moved my cursor over to click ‘you’re right!’ before thinking for a moment.
Throughout my lifetime (that of an average high school student), I’ve played piano, recorder and guitar. I’ve only truly loved guitar, but my practicing skills are awful, so I’ve started/stopped/started about three times. Same with piano. Recorder wasn’t really an instrument, just a gateway into playing others.
This experience has left me with basic knowledge of notes on guitar, as well as chords (I can also read tabs and attempt finger picking, as well as play chords by ear, the strumming pattern is the problem). It’s also left me with a very basic, easily forgotten knowledge of piano.
But I listen to music. I love music. I’ve been to two concerts in the past month (TnS and SSPU/Muse yesterday 1), I have a wide variety of music interests (ranging from 80’s pop to rock to indie and everything). I take a Music History course and am beginning to understand how music has evolved through the centuries. I’m love buying CDs and organizing my iTunes, I try to find new music constantly.
Let’s say I still went to concerts, still loved music, but had never played an instrument (my playing is very limited as it is, so this isn’t a stretch). Obviously I wouldn’t go as far as to say that ‘music is my life’, but would that really make my musical interest any less important? What if I just couldn’t focus on making the music, was too impatient (this somewhat applies, since I could never write a song), or just lacked talent?
How about you guys? Do you play an instrument/have played an instrument? Do you think playing one is necessary to full enjoy music and be a fan? 
(I hope this entry makes sense)
1 A very good show, flashy and awesome and lots of talent from both bands. But the TnS one is still my favorite of the three concerts I’ve been to.
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I think saying “music is my life” in general is an annoying thing to say, because it’s usually said by twats who just go around with iPod buds in their ears all the time instead of being human beings and interacting with other people.
You can appreciate a good movie or tv show without ever filming and directing one, and you can love books without writing them. I don’t see any the difference with music. But I’m with Arielle on the whole “music is my life thing”. Most people don’t mean it.
@Arielle that’s very true, that’s why I tried not to direct the question at people who say that. It’s a pretty obnoxious expression.
@Jasmine Totally agree, even people who play instruments don’t always truly mean it.
You can love books without being a writer. You can love movies without being an actor or a director. You can love music without being a musician. Sure, playing an instrument may help you understand the technical part of it, but it doesn’t mean you can’t truly love music if you don’t.
I played cello for four years, and that did enhance my music-listening skills, as weird as that sounds. I’m more in tune with beat, tone, tempo. I can pick out individual instruments. I understand the technical side. I love music just as much as I did before I played cello.
I actually agree with Arielle. I find it kind of annoying when people say -something- is my life because I don’t think it’s healthy to focus your life on any one thing
I don’t play instruments, and I’m one of the few people I know who doesn’t really listen to music. I like a lot of songs (mostly R&B/hip hop) but I’ve never had a music player or paid that much attention to music.
Quite a few of my friends are huuuge music fans without playing instruments or anything, so I don’t think it’s a prerequisite or anything.
What Arielle said. Usually when people say “___ is my life,” either they’re annoying wannabes, or they’re going through a phase. Not that I haven’t done it before, mind you :p It also goes both ways — I’m sure there are people who’d consider music a passion albeit never having mastered an instrument, and there are people who’ve played multiple instruments but don’t really appreciate music that deeply (me, for example).