It’s the same here in Japan as it is in the USA: music everywhere, silence nowhere.
You go to the supermarket; cheesy tunes accompany your purchase. You go to Starbucks: a high-quality mix, purchasable at the counter, awaits you at medium volume.
And on it goes: nearly every store and restaurant has music playing.
I say, “Enough.” I listen to enough music already. It is an appetite that I can fulfill on my own. When I go out, I want the product I want; I do not need extra notes.
Heck, I think it’s worse here in Japan than in the USA! I sometimes fear that the dinky tunes (they’re worse than Muzak, more like extended cellphone ring tones) that play incessantly at my local grocery store will eventually turn me into a screaming madwoman.
Although I did get a bit of a giggle when I recognized “American Woman” as the tune playing as I waiting in the checkout line.
I agree with you completely, Aeschines. I hate background music in stores, in restaurants, at work, on television, in movies . . . everywhere. It serves no purpose other than to satisfy what seems to be an increasingly universal compulsion for noise.
I know the music; everyone here must know it: the lowest, cheesiest, laziest, and most irritating synth possible. I mean, music this bad must be created on purpose, as there are two necessary conditions to make it thus bad:
Bad arrangements–this can be chalked up to a desire to pump out the tunes. Not forgiveable, but at least comprehensible.
Horrendous synth “tones”–that is, the faux sounds employed. Well, any cell phone (as you mentioned) or cheapo keyboard has tones far better than these, so choosing them can only be ascribed to malevolence.
And if anyone thinks I am joking here, that person has not heard the music for him/herself!
Thanks. You mention movies–good point. My favorite movie of all time is The Passionate Plumber (1932, starring Buster Keaton; hard to find but worth it). One of the grand things about this movie is that, except for literally 30 sec. of music at the opening and closing credits, there is NO MUSIC in this movie. This lack really helps to give the film a clean, modern feel; it looks as though it could have been filmed in the 1960s.
Nowadays, films are more often “confections” than serious motion pictures. I mean, they are not even serious attempts at entertainment. They are product placement media, soundtrack promotions. Film directors need to think a little more about the value of QUIET in a film.
Sometimes, though not very often, a song that fits my mood perfectly comes on. My local Albertson’s has shocked me with Paul Simon’s Renee and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War when I was feeling wistful once; just that experience was pretty transcendent. And once, when I was feelin’ groovy… well, you know.
It’s also fun to sing along with particularly obnoxious songs in order to embarrass my boyfriend. Complete with exaggerated gestures and dance moves. This is particularly effective around Christmas.
Then there are the times when the music just messes with you. I had one particular spree last week where whatever store I was in played a particular BeeGees tune during my shopping experience. I refuse to try and recall which one, so that I don’t get it stuck in my head. I must have heard it eight or ten times in about five days.
Mostly, it provides me with moments of dissonance. There’s nothing like browsing WalMart for dandruff shampoo to the strains of Born To Be Wild. Or hearing a stirring rendition of Don McLean’s Vincent interrupted by a wet clean-up on aisle seven. It just puts things in perspective, ya know?
Besides, it provides artistic inspiration. A few years back, I saw Al Stewart play at a folk festival. He did a great show, just him and another guitarist (Lawrence Juber, I think.) During an interval between songs, he related the story of how he was in an elevator in LA, barely conscious of the background music. Gradually it dawned on him that it was one of his songs. “Hmm,” he thought, “They did an elevator music version of Time Passages. Interesting.” Then he realized that it was the original.
At which point in the show, he launched into the same song, entirely reimagined as a jig. Great stuff.
I actually love music, but there’s time and a place for it. Sometimes you just don’t want to hear even good music. Compulsory music takes that choice away from you. Silence is something that can be appreciated, rather then immediately blotted out.
Another related point is that it forces music on me that I don’t like. I happen to like, among other things, Irish traditional music and strange world music. Once at work I tried to put a tape of this on for a change and my colleague nearly killed me; how dare I put on this terrible stuff? And she was right, of course. She should not be forced to listen to it if she doesn’t like it. But in that office chart radio was playing all day and every day and she seemed to think it was completely normal and acceptable for me to have to put up with this music which I really dislike for the most part. But that’s “normal” music and it’s “normal” that it’s on all day apparently.
I think “music on” should never be the default mode. Silence ought to be the default mode. Anything more should require asking the people who share that space if they’re okay with the music.* We have a right to remain in silence. Well, in an ideal world anyway.
*unless the space is a club or music venue, of course.[/SIZE]
I definitely agree that music 100% of the time is annoying. When I do any serious writing, I prefer to leave the music off – it’s too distracting. Silence is perfectly OK with me.
In addition, when I put on music, I want to listen to it. Using it just as background seems pointless.
I’m also the same way about TV – I never leave the TV on just for background, as some people do. If I’m in the room, I’ll watch it. If I don’t want to watch it, I turn it off.
Sadly, it looks like this is a dying attitude. Most people expect music 24/7 and can’t seem to function in silence.
As a huge music fan, I have to agree that music that I am not in the mood for or just think is plain bad at stores and such drives me nuts.
As a business person, I am aware of the purpose behind the music - tons and tons of research shows that people make mental connections via music. That is why we like it so much. The stores are exploiting that biochemical (or whatever) reaction - they (at least try to) target the music so it increases the feelings in us that they think will increase a purchase. I think that is why I don’t like it so much - I feel so manipulated. Especially when I find I like the music - it makes me second guess the motive and hate that a song is being used to pander to me.
As a hijack, I am actually friends with the fella who is the Chief Creative Officer - yes such a thing exists - for Muzak. He used to live up my way, but moved to take that job. According to him, they are working hard to: 1) increase the quality and/or coolness of the music offered to stores; and 2) use “mix tapes” of actual artists playing their music (rather than bland string re-do’s) - and use those mix tapes to “cast a mood” for companies like Banana Republic and the Gap. I appreciate the attempt to use cooler music, but still feel manipulated. But his job is cool - they have equipped him with a $10,000+ stereo at home and in his car and an unlimited music budget to hear new stuff. THAT would be cool.
Background music (usually not taped muzak but radio) is something that often sours my enjoyment of a restaurant meal or café breakfast for me. There is one Greek restaurant near where I live that I mainly patronize because they don’t play music. I dread the day when they will come to think that they need to provide music in order to not leave their guests in silence.
In the morning, after swimming and before work, I take a good, leisurely breakfast in a self-service café - it’s one of the high points of my day. The only fly in the ointment is the music. They play one of the worst regional radio stations - mostly currently promoted (i.e. bad) US pop, barely sentient teenagers for the hearing of. Interrupted only for short news and promotional phone in competitions where radio people and callers are toenail-curlingly chatty, chirpy and screechy. The kind of radio programme where a ten-second traffic announcement has a background beat mixed in. All in all a convincing argument for Gandhi’s dictum that western civilization would be a good idea.
It’s currently 0-5 °C outside in the morning. I barely resist the temptation to take a seat at the tables outside, freezing my hindquarters off in order to escape the radio. I have a middling bad case of tinnitus but I’d much rather listen to my ears ringing. Traffic noise is more enjoyable to me.
What I cannot understand is why no restaurant owners have hit on “no music” as a marketing strategy. Wouldn’t that niche be much larger that others that restaurants are positioning themselves in?
Nothing like hearing Costello’s “Alison” being played over the loudspeakers. Not only do you get the joy of shopping to a song about a jealous murderous obsessive, you also kill two birds with one stone by simultaneously killing off any remaining vestiges of appreciation you once had for that song! (I generally like Costello, even.)
On the other hand, while we’re in the same genre, not only do I often hear “Alison”, another song that gets airplay is Squeeze’s “Lovin’ you tonight”. That is a totally appropriate song, and it does not decrease my appreciation for the song, since it isn’t played in an incongruous location.
Yes, this irritates me too. But I’m more irritated by the similar issue of televisions everywhere. Today I was in Burger King and there is a bank of three TV’s blaring. I bring a book when I eat alone, and found it really annoying to have CNN screeching in my ear.
Airports are the worst for this. Televisions everywhere, and more often than not they seem to be showing Montel Williams or Entertainment This Week (Month, Year, or whatever…).
I would love to have some silence in public if only once in a while. Some of us still read, or even sit and think.
I’m ok with background music for the most part except for a couple instances.
[ul]
[li]Xmas Music (we get what time of the year it is.)[/li][li]Ear splitting volume. This is especially sucky in a restaurant, or worse, in a record shop where I can’t remember what I came in to look for because all I hear is the song they’re playing.[/li][li]An ethnic restaurant that has the one CD that reflects its cuisine’s heritage. Sit in the restaurant long enough and you notice it has lapped itself and is repeating.[/li][/ul]
The last one reminds me of the Kurdish restaurant below me. They got a CD of kurdish music and played it AD NAUSEUM. I knew the bass line for the songs intimately. Shudder.
I saw a guy on TV once telling how you can get your own back when confronted with very loud music in a store. What you do is mumble an incoherent sentence to the assistant. He (hopefully) will reply “ pardon”. You mumble again for a second and third time. After the third “ pardon” you shout at him “TURN THE FUCKING MUSIC DOWN “
When a family member is in the emergency room after God Himself has tried to kill him (lightning bolt), you’re NOT in the mood for sit-coms… but there they are, on the ER television.
I had to quit going to the university gym during my college years, because I can’t focus with DJ’s prattling away while I’m trying to do my squats.
Have you noticed that “on-hold” music is no longer a quiet, instrumental affair? They apparently just drop the phone on top of a radio, and I end up listening to Snoop Doggy Dog telling me how he’s gonna get him a nine and bust a cap in my ass.
I have worked retail for 5 years. Round the clock light favorites from the '70s, '80s, '90s, and today. I hate it. Distressingly enough, when the music service craps out, I really miss it.
This is why I like shopping at Target. Locally, at least, Target doesn’t have music.
Was it this: “Oh I… I just wanna be your everything.” I only ask because that’s the Bee Gees tune we play most often.
I work at a certain retail store where one is able to choose and design one’s own stuffed animal. The whole store is mind-numbingly cutesy-wootsey. To make the cartoonish, primary-colored atmosphere even more darling, my employer has its own soundtrack. This consists of exactly three songs, played over and over, never stopping.
Sometimes, the last thing I hear in the silence before I fall asleep is the line “…High falootin’ rootin’ tootin’ cowboy ted…eeeeeee…bay-er…”
On a brighter note, my faith in the youngest generation was partially restored last week when a mother asked her young son, on the way out of the store, if he had fun making his new stuffed pal. The little darling replied, in a loud whisper, “It was okay, but that music really stinks, doesn’t it?”
It is funny to observe how some people just can’t survive without the music on. In the afternoon at my local bar there is a group of regulars who gather to watch a game or two. I can’t tell you how often someone walks in off the street, has a drink, and then gets up to put some money in that damn jukebox! We’re a polite group, but the person doesn’t understand the dirty looks we’re all giving him. He doesn’t hear or ignores the mumbling of the regulars.
Mind you, this isn’t 11 at night when I expect the jukebox to be turned up to the threshold of pain. We’re talking 3 or 4 in the afternoon when the volume on the television is still on. Some people just can’t be in a relatively quiet place.