Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

Oh, look! Its a Questionnaire about music~ It was in someone's thread and I took a lot of time on it. It answers a lot of basic questions about me and music, so I thought it would be useful to put here.


0. What is/are your favorite genre(s)? Japanese rock (including general rock, Visual Kei, Oshare Kei, etc), Asian pop, enka, Japanese traditional, Japanese goth (including darkwave, industrial, electronica, guro, etc), French chanson, French goth industrial, etc French artists, various genre-less Japanese artists and bands.

1a. What do you consider good music, either in general or in concrete examples? People who are actually creative and talented coming together to make original material and having something unique to say either stylistically in music or as a message as whole. This means they're not always signed to a major company (almost never, actually).
1b. How about bad music? There is an exception seemingly for Korea in this, but people who are chosen by a company out of nowhere for looks alone or for what they think the kids will want. Most popular music is like this, though some popular people did work for where they are.

2. Are you biased against some genres because of the fans they tend to attract? Generally Western modern rock, metal, whatever (like MCR, Paramore, Evanescence, Children of Bodom, etc). Many of the fans of these I meet are whiny 14 year old babies who are elitist.

3a. Do you make assumptions about fans of particular genres? See Q2.
3b. What are some of the stereotypes you are familiar with? There is a sad thing in Korea going on where some fans are so against certain artists for whatever reason that they actively sabotage them, like buying out whole concert places and having it empty, even spiking a singer's water backstage and burning his throat. Not all Korean fans are like this, but it scares me something fierce.
3c. What stereotypes exist about fans of your preferred genre? See Q3b, and there are many many elitist people who listen to J-rock!! They're like, "you suck because you don't like the band I like, you should only listen to the bands I like, your bands are all teh suck, you're so stupid for liking xxxxx!!!" I haven't seen it recently, thank heavens, but it might return.

4. What role does a band/artist/genre's popularity play in your like or dislike for them/hir/it? I am never aware of a band's popularity when I first hear of them and research them, unless when I find them I see they're listed under a widely known major or indie label. Therefore, my love can be born without outside influence usually. Its quite awesome. However, if they are massively indie and new it makes me happy because it means I get to follow that band along in their career.

5. Do you think you have good taste in music? Other people think I have good taste in music. Sometimes I show someone a song and they are instantly hooked and can't stand to listen to the music they previously enjoyed. A notable person told me this should be called "stealing their souls" and I agree.

6. How objective do you think you are when you judge music? I listen to a whole discography before I write off a band or artist. I just listen for original quirks that tickle my fancy. If a single song is liked, I usually end up liking the rest of the discography. Usually the single song is the one that puts it all together, the song that makes the band make sense. For example, I may think a certain band is all over the place with their style, using death vocals, loose oshare vocals, drum machines, when other times they are very sweet and kooky, being like, "yes, but where's your voice?" and then one song puts it all together and I'm like, "ah, there we go!" Sometimes I have to look at a person's previous bands to figure out who they are as well. I also will look at an artist's blog and see what they do from day to day. Sometimes there is an "A-ha!" moment where I'm like, "is that why you do what you do with your music! I like you now...<3" Also in this method I can leave messages and if they are a relatively unknown artist sometimes we can become acquaintances or even friends.

7. Do you judge artists/bands on their entire body of work, or on a song-by-song basis? See Q6.

8. Do you consider your choice of music part of your identity, image or public persona? Its certainly a part of my identity. Music is a very big part of my life. However, irl, people have no idea what I might like musically because I don't dress in my true style very often anymore. Also, people often ask if I like bands like MCR, Paramore, Evanescence, etc, and I have to explain what I like. Its part of being young, those questions, I guess.

9. Have you ever made choices in music based on what your peers might think of you? (For example, do you avoid a certain genre because your friends think it is without merit? Do you listen to genres you don't particularly like because your friends like them?, etc.) No, life is too short to do that.

10a. How do you feel/react when someone states an opinion contrary to yours regarding music in general? If I'm in a testy mood I might say what I don't like about their opinion in music. If its a straight out, mean-spirited, unfounded insult to mine its war. I need to stop being so easy to provoke o.o'
10b. What about particular songs/artists/genres? Usually people will insult Asian music in general because they don't know any of the artists or bands. But someone who actually knows something about an artist or band nowadays is educated in their opinion and we can talk maturely. I particularly hate it when someone puts their fingers to their eyes and says Asian music is "ching chong chongg". And when someone says Asians can't dance its on.

11. Do you have formal musical training? (Such as receiving singing lessons, playing an instrument, etc.) I recieved extensive singing/vocal lessons as a child and learned a bit of violin. I played the flute for many years. I also know the basics for the Japanese flute.

12. Who influences your choice of music most? How do you find new music? Through which channels? Through advertising/word of mouth/YouTube/reviews/other?Mana of Malice Mizer influences it the most, I have to say. He knows of many artists and bands and I just follow along through the networks of his known friends and work aquaintances, and their friends and work acquaintances, and I find myself suddenly connected to thousands of artists. I also randomly go on youtube sometimes in desperation for new stuff and listen to what my friends have to say. Then there's CDJapan new release mail.

13a. Have your tastes or preferences changed over time? Not really. I always know what I like, but Asian music has certainly changed. I'm just here to ride the waves and enjoy.
13b. If not, why not? I have no idea XD
13c. If yes, in what way?

14. Anything you'd like to add on this subject? Any other questions you wish I'd posed? If you want to see what kinds of artists and bands I like, head over to my profile. I have made playlists and links to over 150 Asian artists and bands for my own and other people's listening and viewing pleasure.