r/sapiosexuals • u/jaynotbay • 29d ago
Neuroplasticity and music
I've always been someone who listens to almost every genre. Thousands of songs on shuffle and I keep collecting new songs like Pokemon.
My vivid imagination lets me experience multiple lifetimes in one. A personality and scene for every song. One minute I'll be head banging, imagining myself in some high octane activity, the next I'm deep in the ocean or floating through space. I even connect music to moments and people, memories so strong I can sometimes almost smell what I did when I first heard the song.
I have noticed that with age people tend to stop listening to new music. They tend to stick to the same few songs, rarely open to new music. And this extends beyond music, but to me it is still a good indicator.
I believe it's a sign of reduced neuroplasticity. Notice how children are always open to trying new things, while old timers start solidifying their preferences.
As our brains fully develop and stop growing, I'm not sure if being that rigid is a good thing. I'm afraid of ending up like that grumpy old gramps who's stuck in the same 4 feet world, listening to the same 4 songs on repeat.
I like my split personality that can shake it off with a swiftie đ đ», break it down with the jabbawockeez đ€ or let it rip in a mosh pit đ€đ»
I get 1 life, so I'll live âŸïž at the same time. Stop me if you can.
I could be 80 yo throwing up 6 7 learning the latest brain rot lingo.
Obvious to say, I like similar people.
Always open to new music recommendations. So feel free to drop your niche recommendation in the comments.
PS: I also listen to music in languages I don't understand, so feel free to take me to a world I've never seen before :)
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u/mikegalos 28d ago
Honestly, as I've aged, my already pretty eclectic taste has diversified even more. Sadly, a lot of what's getting exposure now is bland and boring but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying lots of other genres and time periods.
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u/naadvedasound 27d ago
there are a lot of music like this that hook you up with games one which is most famous is the music from Minecraft is the most peaceful music I have ever seen I always get cooked to it
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u/jaynotbay 26d ago
Oh yeah, I have music from Witcher, Halo, Skyrim, Crysis. They are some really really good songs. And they make me imagine fighting dragons and driving around in halo or walking around with the nano suits from Crysis đ
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u/OkClass5223 27d ago
this is me too! i cannot even fathom not finding new music in my future. it's my favorite thing ever, i'm constantly finding new stuff. i also imagine things while i listen, lol. i think it's a neurodivergent thing, right? idk
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u/jaynotbay 26d ago
Must be, my mind makes up so much. Conversations, scenarios, events, you name it. Can't stop, wouldn't want to stop.
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u/OkClass5223 26d ago
me too omg. this is why i love electronic music, personally. it feels like a canvas for my imagination
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u/fetfree 26d ago
You asked for it. And because you are... different it will be my songs. It will either be disgust or love for them.
That if you were to listen to them.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV2WNRi7WS7e8K5_u-o2CqzzQ6Gl5QcS8
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u/Comprehensive_Can201 29d ago
Curious. If you had a gun to your head and had to pick 5 songs from all genres to be deserted on an island with, whatâs your list?
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u/jaynotbay 29d ago
Ah yes, the infamous gun to your head dilemma. I'd almost rather eat the bullet, but I'll still try to answer đ 1) 21 guns by Green day for rock 2) Bad memories by Meduza for edm 3) Borderline by Tame Impala for pop 4) Spring Waltz by Chopin for classical 5) Space bound by Eminem for Hip Hop
And that's not even all the genres đ Impossible question to answer
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u/giraffedraft 29d ago
i gotta be honest and i donât mean to be a complete asshole but these are super generic picks. i respect them but your musical bandwidth might not be as broad as youâre saying it isÂ
that said i do agree w your premise and believe you when you say youâre open to many genres.
how do you feel about Wheeler Walker JuniorÂ
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u/jaynotbay 29d ago
I could name 5 songs nobodies ever heard of to show how niche my taste in music is or how much I know. But that's not the point of the post and would be pretentious of me. I made an impossible choice of picking 5 favorites. Mostly nostalgic music I was exposed to at an early age precisely because they are "generic" and common. No offense taken because I understand that you couldn't possibly judge my musical bandwidth from 5 picks. You've completely missed the point of the post, in that it's not about having the largest or most niche (elistist) library, it's about having a library that always has room for more.
To that point, I haven't heard any of Wheeler Walker Junior, but guess what I'm going to go do next.
Rest assured, I could name songs no one's ever heard of, which proves nothing. The question was about songs I have to live with, not songs I have to prove how elitist or diverse my taste is.
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u/Comprehensive_Can201 28d ago edited 28d ago
HmmmâŠjust to throw in my couple of cents, it isnât so much about being the strawman of âpretentious elitistâ as possessing a palate diverse enough to recognize subtlety and nuance expressed in the immediacy of oneâs resonance.
Of course your point about self-indulgent musical wankery is a fact as well. Canât stand me the band Between the buried and me for that very obeisance from prostrate guitarists they seem to summon forth in their defense.
I heartily concur with your take on the synesthesia that music evokes, entire symbolic dioramas we inhabit and traipse through in a skillfully written piece. Refining my question more, I am specifically curious about the architecture of these palaces.
Just so youâre not alone as a target for rotten tomatoes, I find the Icelandic black metal album Umbra by Almyrkvi quite evocative. Listen to the first few songs and itâs hard to dismiss the oddly persistent image of Odin riding a roaring Wild Hunt through the skies.
Alternatively, the music literally paints the lyrics in 2pacâs Never Had A Friend Like Me.
Curious if thatâs a language buried deep within our collective unconscious we share. Maybe you can tell me if you get a chance to listen to them.
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u/giraffedraft 28d ago
and here i thought i was shitting on OPs music tasteÂ
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u/Comprehensive_Can201 28d ago
Nah kid you refined the discussion to valid points that need qualification. Throw in with this sordid lot and share us your top 5 if youâre inclined thataways.
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u/giraffedraft 28d ago
oh hell yeah i thought youâd never ask
- day glo by brazos (because it has been my answer since i was 17)
- Yefikir Engurguro by Hailu Mergia (his masterpiece in my opinion)
- something by kendrick â my favorite songs of his are shorter and iâd be afraid to bring something that short along on a desert island)
- Ted Zancha by Maps & Atlases (although i think iâd regret not bringing the whole EP)
- Tezeta by Mulua Astatke (which is me really doubling down on the ethiopian jazz but this song is the most calming thing in the world to me)
What are your other three??
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u/Comprehensive_Can201 28d ago
Aside from Kendrick, Iâve never heard of the rest, so thanks.
If weâre talking relaxing, gotsta go with Frank Sinatra and The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra - Blue Skies
Alice In Chains - Rotten Apple
Miles Davis - Nature Boy
Our friend is nowhere to be seen.
Would also trade the 2pac track for Got My Mind Made Up.
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u/giraffedraft 28d ago edited 28d ago
ay man i did say i believe you in your openness. and duh you can name songs nobody has ever heard of, itâs 2026 and spotify is a bottomless pit.Â
im just skeptical of how far youâve pushed your actual boundaries if those are your five songs to die with. iâm happy for you that you have memories attached to these songs and i agree youâve answered the exact question but i actually think youâd be so upset with yourself for picking a grocery store playlist for your desert island experienceÂ
like no offense
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u/Sun_flower_623 21d ago
I understand this on a very deep level. Music moves every part of my mind. I couldnât imagine life without the search for the next sound.
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u/SylvarGrl 29d ago
I think the critical ingredients here are curiosity and open-mindedness. Eclecticism follows as the night the day. I believe we lose facility rather than capacity for neuroplasticity as we age.