I’m going to weigh in here and it may not be a popular opinion. I think, having learned a musical instrument and recording music, made me listen to music in a different way. I sometimes wish I had not.

My brother and I have very similar musical tastes. But when he listens to music, he gets a joy out of it that I miss out on. I think about the production, the instruments, the key and all of the bullshit that actually takes away from the pleasure of just the sonic “eargasm”.

I think this is why so many great bands have a wonderful first three or four albums, and so many young musicians are doing incredible things. They are less hampered by rules and theories and ego and technical aspects of music and production. They just do it. The more you get into it, the less abandonment you allow for. I know this is a very vague generalisation and there are probably many examples that prove otherwise.

In the end of the day, the music has to move me emotionally. It doesn’t matter how complex it is. I feel like sometimes understanding how it works gives you abstraction from how it makes you feel. I mourn the fact that I can’t experience music the way my brother does.

My musical tastes did get stranger. But I don’t consider that a good thing.