With the ability to learn so much about our world just by typing on a keyboard, it is a shame that the majority of our society is out of tune with worldwide music culture and the genres they may love but know nothing about; but there is a way to convince them to have more curiosity.
Music Connects is an informative book that introduces various topics pertaining to music. This includes descriptions of different genres and how they are categorized and influenced by each other. At the same time, it introduces the idea that there is an indefinite array of music sub-genres worldwide, most of which you would never know about without some extensive research. Also included are 10 biographies of very different music artists (none of which are mainstream) in order to kick-start the reader’s exploration. Lastly, the book includes articles on topics such as music psychology, earworms and how to broaden your scope of music taste.
The problem this book addresses is that advanced knowledge of worldwide music is not common in our society; look in a local music store for evidence. As such, many of us miss out on opportunities to learn about other countries and cultures, because music plays such a huge role.
After reading Music Connects, perhaps people will learn about a music genre they have never heard of and it ends up becoming their new favourite type of music. It might change their life and make them happier overall. I have learned for myself the benefits of being curious towards music variety and I am continuing to find new music for myself. I hope to make this happen for others through this book.
After a lot of thought about how I carry out my lifestyle with the influence of music and how I am a minority when it comes to the variety of music I listen to, I became confident that I had something I could communicate to people. I have learned so much from the world just through listening to different genres from around the globe.
A challenge I encountered was deciding what to include and what to leave out of the book. I was able to cut back on content I was thinking of including, shorten the amount of pages and copy and provide a reading experience that would be engaging. I wanted to include a fair amount of content as a way to introduce the reader to a variety of topics but at the same time, leave them asking questions. I wanted to allow them to look beyond Music Connects and do some research on their own. In a sense, I wanted the book to be a kick-starter for changing their music listening habits.
Music Connects is addresses the problem of the unpopular practice of expanding tastes in worldwide music. It informs, educates and sparks curiosity in an engaging, insightful manner. It highlights the benefits of broadening one’s scope and influences actions to take place after reading.
