The Music That Belongs Where You Are
Matthew Joel Vanderkwaak on embracing listening limitations, and focusing on the music of a specific place
This week, as I take a breather to prepare for the marathon of Best Of lists that I’ll unleash in the coming weeks, I’ve asked Matthew Joel Vanderkwaak to step in for a moment of reflection and sage advice.
I find that the end of the year is both exciting and fraught for music lovers. It’s helpful to step back and remember that it’s actually impossible to listen to every new record; it’s unrealistic even to sample them all.
Matthew helps us reframe our limitations as a strength we can use to deepen our appreciation of music, and to help us engage with it on a more personal level. We don’t need to always be chasing the newest, hottest thing. There are many strategies to discover new music. Focusing on depth rather than breadth is one of them.
Enjoy.
-Gabbie
Human beings make and publish an astonishingly large amount of new music.
Even if all you’re paying attention to are the end-of-year lists, there is so much music to work through. And even as the slop flows,…
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