I've had this theory forever, but recently started sharing it with friends, and they agree:
Our core taste in music- the foundation on which it's all built- happens somewhere during tenth grade.
My tenth grade year was a total sink hole – I ended up more or less locked in my room for the entire year. From time to time I'd wander out and post my indecipherable poems on Prodigy (the internet of 1994, young-uns). Otherwise it was me in my room, listening to music. I listened to a lot of music. And most of it stuck.
Of my top-ten albums of all time, a full five came from 1994. And I've probably listened to those five albums at some point in the past month or two. They're still on heavy rotation, fifteen years later.
When I first formulated this theory, I thought it was a fluke- not everyone gets hit with the depression stick in tenth grade. But I found that despite the circumstances, something about our psychosocial development seems to anchor the center of our cultural gravity when we're fifteen or sixteen. Ask nearly anyone the last time "music was really good" and except for the classic rockers and Floyd-heads, they'll probably figure sometime around their tenth grade year. At least I've found it to be so. But I'd love all of your opinions/anecdotes/biographies/top ten...
[I wrote this ages ago for Popten, but wanted to bring it up to new readers and see what you think.]
I'm a Senior Strategist for digital creative agency Big Spaceship, leading strategy for a number of clients including Skittles and Crayola. I wrote and produced the virtual world documentary Second Skin and am the managing editor for the pop culture blog Popten.
I'm a Senior Strategist for digital creative agency Big Spaceship, leading strategy for a number of clients including Skittles and Crayola. I wrote and produced the virtual world documentary Second Skin and am the managing editor for the pop culture blog Popten.
Theme created for Posterous by Obox
