Kicking off our Talk of the Town series…Our first question comes from Collective Member Fran living in Madrid, Spain. Fran Asks:
Why do people that are involved within one musical style “hate on” other musical styles or put out negative energy within that same style. If music is used to confront frustrations through Reflection and Response, why should people have prejudices against others who use this medium for the same thing?
the LIFESTYLE 
Ok so to back up my point, here is a fine example of music as a mood inlet/outlet. Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire seals an awesome deal and is bursting to celebrate but can’t find the right genre that matches his feelings, until…
I think both Sarah and Peter have amazing points about creative expression and the nitty gritty of the music business but I HAVE to post this quote:
“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery – celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from – it’s where you take them to.”
― Jim Jarmusch
I think that through time this has proven to be true – music is about MOOD – how am I feeling and what outlet will I choose for that…MUSIC. It has inspired and touched the hearts and minds of the most impoverished to the stinking rich, so much so that music is used as a source of therapy officially and self-medicated. SO…don’t be a hater and open your mind to where a new (or previously disliked) genre could take you…
I think Sarah brings up good points about how negative expression and hating can be used as a tool for self-expression. Whole genres spring up in opposition to others with new movements finding their own way to express new voices. However the whole genre vs genre or genre infighting drama seems less about expressing oneself and more about business and strays from what i think is powerful about creative mediums. Creative mediums are interesting in that they can provide spaces for reflection and response, but also can be battlegrounds of fame. I think the pursuit of fame drives artists to hate on other artists to try and establish their own place or style. If that artist just wanted to express and reflect, there would be no need to throw out negative energy towards others who do the same thing.
It often seems to me that people define themselves by their taste. And that far too often, taste is defined or validated by what someone doesn’t like rather than by what they do like. It’s a bummer, but it seems to me that people feel that strong expression is often more associated with negative expression than positive expression. It’s as if by hating on another musical style, artists attempt to create a hierarchy by which they can define themselves. I wonder if sometimes it actually comes from a place of insecurity – as if they don’t have enough confidence in the legitimacy of their preferred style?