“Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.” — Henry David Thoreau.
As someone whose life is inextricably woven with music, I harbour a deep suspicion for anyone who doesn’t listen to much of it. This carries over into the dating arena, where it could be well-argued a man’s attitude toward music can be telling of his attitude toward romantic relationships.
Music, after all, is a marker of cultural identity. It can permeate every facet of life — work, friends, hobbies, appearance — and shape the people they become.
It can make fast friends of strangers and close friends of casual acquaintances.
“It’s very important,” said a friend and fellow audiophile of sharing similar musical tastes with a significant other. “It implies compatibility and common interests — possibly even social views.”
One girlfriend tells me she dated a man until she found out he likes Matchbox 20, at which point she felt “meh.” Another who suspects her boyfriend is gay was all furrowed brows upon learning he loves Lady Gaga.
Individual artists aside, a person’s passion for music can speak volumes about his or her character.
A man who has amassed shelves of classic vinyl records, for example, has invested time, money and effort into something he is passionate about. A Top 40 fan, not so much.
Hipster doofuses who make grand efforts to find the most obscure music possible — “It’s these two Icelandic dudes with oboes and rainsticks!” — are probably as pretentious in other areas of life.
It can also be deduced a hip-hop head won’t likely be procreating with the fragile emo kid any time soon.
That said, there is the occasional pairing of those who many would never expect to work, but do. They are the left-field collaborations, the seamless blends – the perfect mash-ups.
