By James Martinez//
Do not stop listening to music. That would be dramatic.
However, after losing my AirPods and being miles away from them, my life became the worst, but at the same time, one of the best self-imposed social experiments that I would complete.
Without my AirPods, I would lose the one feature that modern society was gifted with: unlimited access to music.
Prior to the widespread adoption of music streaming services, music was limited to only certain aspects of people’s lives.
You could only listen to music on the radio, CDs, and record players. After Spotify’s launch in 2006, people slowly began listening to music nonstop.
I would listen to Spotify for about 6-8 hours a day, from the moment I woke up until I got home. I would not even stop the music when I was in class, talking to peers or sleeping.
The first week after losing my AirPods was miserable. I realized that without something constantly playing in my ear, the world felt empty, and everything happening around me felt much louder.
I also became increasingly upset because I could not listen to music while doing mundane tasks, which is a core aspect of my daily life.
As I entered my second week of no music, I noticed a change in myself. I grew more self-aware and integrated into my surroundings, and I found joy in my environment from all that I would normally shut out and miss.
For example, listening to other people’s conversations. “Man, that exam was hard,” or “My cat threw up all over my stuff,” made me feel closer to humanity as a whole. I quickly realized that music could isolate people in their own worlds. That makes sense as people’s playlists are usually private or personal.
Former Supreme Justice Louis Brandeis advocated for “Privacy promotes individuality.”
In my case, the excessive amount of music that I listened to closed me off from so many personal and meaningful interactions with the world around me.
Then I noticed myself being more present while doing my everyday tasks. At the start of the semester, on my first day of painting class, I planned to play music, paint for two hours, clean up, and leave.
That plan has now changed because, with no AirPods, I am forced to engage with the class and the conversations happening.
Now I have learned how to connect with my professors and classmates. At first, it was an interaction that felt forced because I had no other choice, but now it is enjoyable and a way to get to know people I would have otherwise ignored.
The biggest change I noticed in myself was my ability to be self-aware and better internalize my emotions. In the past, when I faced difficult times, I would listen to music that matched my emotional state and helped bring comfort to whatever I was going through.
People fail to realize that when they do this, they romanticize their feelings, and it may not always be good. Without music, I learned to cope with difficult times in my life and worked through them on my own. I also became aware of what others are experiencing.
Without music, I became an active listener. I had more to say as the thoughts in my head were now clear and concise. I went from only half-listening to what someone was saying to me because I was more focused on Tyler, the Creator’s newest album blasting in my ear, to relating to their personal struggles.
From now on, until I find some AirPods or earbuds, this experiment will become part of my daily life. I believe that music should be enjoyed purposefully, and the only time I listen to music is while I am driving.
This has made music sound better and feel more rewarding. It is similar to when your mom limited your TV time to just one hour as a child, and you had to make the most of that hour.
I recommend that everyone try cutting out music for at least a month by being intentional about when you listen to music, rather than just having an AirPod in your ear all day. If you study with music, stop!
Lastly, if you are in class or having a conversation, refrain from playing any music. Focus on the moment and fully engage in the lecture or discussion. Why would you need music when you have the opportunity to listen to the world around you?
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