Music snobs only: my little sisters love popular music/?

Question

How do I inspire my younger sisters (13 and 14, respectively) to enjoy good music, instead of the disposable garbage - Boy bands, Dumb Country (lots of country music is well done; much of it isn't) pop-punk(Ashlee Simpson, Green Day, Simple Plan, MCR) pop (Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, and - I shudder to think - Paris Hilton, Pop Tart). I've been vigilantly exposing them to better music - Siouxsie and the Banshees ("I didn't like it") to Leonard Cohen ("It's kind of depressed") The Cure, The Smiths (The 14-year-old liked the Smiths), Bjork, Indian Pop, Warren Zevon, The Pixies, The Ramones (The 14-year-old liked The Ramones), Nico, Goldfrapp, and Husker Du, et cetera. I have been letting them listen to truly good music for years. Yesterday the 14-year-old told me, giggling, that she liked a pop-punk band. I am aware that her tastes are different from my own, but I feel as though I have failed as a musical influence. In short: I am very bummed. What should I do?

PrettyMona: It's spelled 'Business'.

Jenny: Some people think Leonard Cohen is 'emo depressed music'?

Pyro26jr can neither spell nor punctuate.

Answer 1

They're so young their musical tastes haven't even formed yet. Just play what you like and hope some rubs off on them. I know it's hard to watch someone you love enjoy Ashlee Simpson.

Answer 2

If she likes this music, let her be... it is so f--ing annoying to have people telling you "what you hear is disposable garbage", give the girl a break!! All you'll get is a "sooo??". She'll eventually start hearing and liking other kinds of music and find what she really likes, and probably you won't like it either... even she will still like pop music, but good pop, not every boy band that comes out to the market... and/or many other music genres.

Being a musical influence is not your mission in this world, nobody's mission, actually... stop annoying her!!!!!

Answer 3

Some people just like cheesy pop music, you can't control that. The more you try to force music down their throats, the less likely they are to like it. There are some artists I didn't really care for until I was older and listened to it on my own terms. It won't hurt them in life.

BTW, Green Day and MCR are good bands. Green Day is not disposable because they have been big for over ten years, you probably just don't like them because they're on MTV. If you're allowed to be a music snob than why can't your sisters.

Answer 4

Well first I don't think you should control what your siblings like.
Its their tastes and likings. They're not trying to get you to listen to Ashlee Simpson, are they?
No, I don't think so.
But I agree with you in a way. Most people can't sing that great these days.
Actually I'm 15 and over the past month I've seriously gotten really interested in the 50s for some reason.
I hardly listen to today's music anymore.

Answer 5

First of all, there is nothing wrong with pop-punk. Alot of the stuff on MTV is crap, but you need to look a little bit deeper. If that's what they're into, get them some Screeching Weasel, Mr. T Experience, and most of the other early Lookout Records releases (yes, that's where Green Day got their start.)

You also need to keep in mind that they will get older and their tastes will change. Just give it some time.

Answer 6

Dude, they're 13 and 14. Give them time. Trust me. I used to like crappy music too when I was their age.

Well, okay, I still retain my love of the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel, but the former are absolute classics and the latter has sentimental value (in that I've been listening to them since before I could remember), so I guess my tastes weren't all bad.

But seriously. I liked Hanson and N*Sync, for christ's sake.

I think they'll grow out of it. Seriously.

Answer 7

Good music is in the "ear" of the beholder. As a traditional jazz afficionado I could very easily look at what you listen to and say, "He thinks THAT is good music?!" Nonetheless I have learned that not everyone thinks that Miles Davis, Coltrane or Ella Fitgerald is "good music." I have learned that the reason "music" is called "the universal language" is because there are so many varieties and styles that there is something in it found by everyone.

My advice is leave them alone and let them develop their own tastes in music. All you can do is expose them to what you like, you can't make them like what you like. Trust me, I have learned that when I listen to some of the music my own grown up children like. However, what I have noticed is that by exposing them to what I like they now have a wider, more eclectic taste and understanding of music - from rap, to R&B, to rock, to jazz, to pop.

Music is supposed to soothe the savage beast and make us happy. Rejoice then that there are so many varieities of the salve my friend.

Answer 8

Some people are different... allow her to enjoy her music. You have yours she has hers. To her your music is "garbage". I mean I'm one for the classics but I'm also for the "garbage"

Don't force it on her because she will rebel even more. You most likely play an instrument and can enjoy the hard work that instrumental musicians can put into it like others cant.

Don't let her music bother you... She'll phase out of it.. You can't controll her and you haven't failed. But she has just refused to recognize

Answer 9

Young girls need that kind of crap to start developing an interest in music. All you can do is listen to what you like and some of it will rub off on them.
My grand daughters were into Christian rock. I bought them a boom box for Christmas and some not too heavy rock cassettes to go with it. It didn't take long to corrupt those two innocent girls.
Now they love rock music. The Christian rock tapes went into the yard sale.

Answer 10

yes, i say you are trying to help them, and your making a great effort. but i don't think they've lived through enough experience to like good music. i suggest, a little more "up" type of real punk. Sex Pistols, The Clash, Bad Brains(well, lyrics aren't so much up i.e.- house of suffering), The Addicts, The Cramps, The Cult(well, i think they're considered goth now, i'm confused, damn labels), etc.. maybe try Gary Numan, The Jesus&Mary Chian, Lords Of The New Church, Peter Murphy/Buahaus(and i know how much "we" like Peter Murphy). and if they don't like more "up" type beats(not that these aren't important lyrics, but you know, not a slow medolicy tune. more like The Cure and The Ramones(which the 14-year-old liked) then tell them you don't know what happend to the "pop" cd's and shove great music down their throats.