Are You A Music Snob?

Being a music enthusiast is a great thing, but it can be easy to unknowingly fall into the trap of becoming a music snob. This can limit your enjoyment of music and alienate others who may have different music tastes. The purpose of this article is to create general awareness and a realization in one's thought process when listening to new music - not to put shame on anyone. If you want to avoid being a music snob, the following are some things to consider:

Music Elitism

Everyone has different tastes in music, and it’s important to be respectful of that. Just because someone likes a different genre or artist than you doesn’t mean they have bad taste. This mindset can be referred to as “music elitism” - the hatred and disapproval of any music genre other than those enjoyed by the “elitist”. A music elitist may find themselves in frequent debates and arguments over music and why their own preferences are “correct”. Don’t be an elitist!

Be Open-Minded

Don’t limit yourself to only one genre of music. Be willing to explore and discover new genres and artists that you may have never heard before. Remember, there is no such thing as “bad” music. Rather than labeling a song, artist, or genre as “bad”, try and find something you can appreciate about the music instead of finding things to criticize. With a more positive and open mindset, you may be surprised at what you discover.

Don’t Be Judgemental

Music is a personal thing, and people often have emotional connections to the music they love. For some, music is more than just an auditory pastime - it can be consumed as a lifelike experience, which can give the listener different sorts of physical and emotional sensations. Common examples might include goosebumps, butterflies in your stomach, or being captivated enough to visualize yourself within the imagery of the song. In this context, passing judgement can be upsetting and often leave a person offended. Because music can have such a strong impact on people, passionate music lovers may take any sort of criticism personally. This being said, a person should not have a label put on them due to the genres of music they enjoy listening to. Unfortunately, this is a reality that occurs today.

Using Music to Show Off

As a musician, it’s important to be educated and well-versed in all aspects of music. Having proficient knowledge in any subject, music or not, can have a positive impact on your confidence. But there's a line between being confident and being egotistical. Using music to show off your knowledge and skills can potentially come across as condescending and arrogant. Instead, use your knowledge of music to educate others in a way that can be useful and appreciated.

Be Humble

Remember that music is subjective. Don’t act like you know everything about music - there is always something new to be learned, regardless of how educated or experienced you may or may not be. The willingness to learn from others will only make you more versatile, and improve your skills as a musician, a music analyst, an avid music listener, or whatever you consider yourself to be.

Keeping all of this in mind, you can avoid being a music snob and instead become someone who enjoys and appreciates music for what it is - a form of artistic expression that can connect people in meaningful ways.