How Much of My Taste in Music is Really My Own?

I am slowly coming to the somewhat melancholy conclusion that almost all of my taste in music (both the things I am proud to like and many of the things I am less proud to enjoy) can be attributed to someone else in my life (and the nostalgia I have for them and our shared memories) instead of to my own personal taste or discretion.

For example. I enjoy Swing Revival music (Brian Setzer, Cherry Popping Daddies, and Big Bad Voo Doo Daddies, etc.) because of my father. Also, David Bowie, Paula Abdul, and Gloria Estefan. And were it not for my mother, I wouldn't appreciate "oldies," (The Eagles, the Beatles, etc.) Kenny Loggins, or the unique Canadian sounds of Ian Thomas.

Were it not for my best friend growing up, Mel, I would not like Third Eye Blind or Cake. She also reinforced the Swing Revival (her and Maria actually teaching me how to do some basic swing dance moves)

Speaking of Maria, that accounts for weird Christian ska and swing (Five Iron Frenzy and the W's) Also, Sailor Moon music, but let's not get into that...

Which then reminds me of Ben. Let's face it, because of those two and a half years of my life, I now enjoy everything from Jimmy Hendrix and Zeppelin, to Nirvana and Offspring. Also Christian rock/rap like DC talk, guitar ballads like Jars of Clay and Shaded Red, and pretty much any Praise Song I happen to enjoy. (Two and a half years with someone can really open up an entire world of music)

Aerosmith because of Jason, (darn you.)

And of course I wouldn't enjoy classic and alternative rock like Rush, Kiss, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, Kansas, America (I still hear him singing the "la las" whenever I play this song) Freezepop (I guess they are really techno, so we'll let them be the segue) Wolfmother, Blue Oyster Cult and Bang Camero, were it not for my crazy best friend Justin (nor would I own a wireless Guitar Hero controller or jump around on the couch while playing said guitar)

Which gets me started on my husband and all the alt rock too countless to name: White Stripes, Weezer, Blur, Strokes, Okay, Go etc. etc. He introduced me to the local alternative rock station, so pretty much anything I heard there and liked can be attributed to him. And of course, the oh-so-amazing Amanda Palmer and the Dresden Dolls.

My sister Holly for German Techno.

Michael Buble and Robby Williams because of my sister Valerie. I think I blame her for Ewan MacGregor and Moulin Rouge, too (and, of course, Kate's part in that...)

My childhood friend Kristal May for Andrew Lloyd Weber - "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and "Phantom of the Opera," (but not Cats. Still too weird!) Also, the Spice Girls and Celine Dion.

Claire for Matchbox 20.

Professor Gilliand (Bart) for Carmina Burana and the song "Almost Like Being in Love" (and a blinding hatred for the song "S'Wonderful")

I'm not sure who to blame for why I hate "Rent" so much. Too many people to count.

Stephanie Meyer got me listening to Muse, because they were listed as her "muse" when she writes.

Sam Brownson's incredible indy type music is very popular on my iPod, but I never would have known it, had not his brother Ben introduced it to me in conjunction with his own plays he writes.

While I appreciate the versatility this gives my apparent taste in music, it leaves me wondering what is left to truly be attributed to "my" own feelings and opinions?

Well, there is the Goo Goo Dolls, hands down, no question. That's not so bad. Possibly Sugar Ray as well. And Oleander (which no one else seems to like.) I can probably get away with that, unscathed. Also the album "Viva La Vida," (most favorite song in the world now is the one of the same name) which is particularly amusing because, before that, I hated Coldplay and thought they were completely overrated and needed better instrumentation and thought to their song lyrics. Imagine how surprised I was when it seemed they took my suggestions without ever hearing me give them.

Of course there's also N'Sync, 98 degrees, Five, and other lesser boy bands. And let's not forget Ricky Martin, (which I loved despite my embarrassment.) Though I am proud to say that I truly liked them because of their music (which, yes, I still enjoy) and never just because I wanted to marry one of them, (my celebrity crushes never actually included any of them.)

Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani were also a conscious choice, because I loved women who could really sing.

So what does that leave me with? The only two things I can really be proud of: Classical Music (Beethoven, Dvorak, Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky being the leaders, Mahler being the strongest exception, because his 2 hour long symphony I had to sit through was total crap) and my one rare find, the Arrogant Worms (A Canandian folk/comedy group who are all individually very talented musicians.) When I try to single out what is purely "my taste," this is all I can think of that isn't completely connected to some other person.

And I guess that's all okay. That's kinda what we are as human beings; an amalgamation of experiences: a few that are purely our own and the rest that involve mostly other people. And that's normal.

But man, it makes me seem so uncool.