The biggest thing I learned
was how easy it was for me
to dislike something I knew
nothing about, and how just
experiencing it and learning
about it was enough to
completely change my mind.
By the end of the week, see
how you feel about the genre
compared to how you felt on
the first day. Have your thoughts
changed? Have you noticed how
the themes or stories of this genre
compare with your favorites? Have
you learned anything?
Personal Story: I used to hate
blues music. I just thought it was
so lame: the same three chords
over and over, and it’s always
sad? Ugh. I avoided listening
to it until my dad asked me if
I might like to join his band. I
know most kids would hate the
idea of being involved in their
parents’ lame music, but my
dad happens to be really cool
and also an amazing drummer. I
agreed without knowing what it
was, and of course it happened
to be a blues band. Honestly,
I went into it with a pretty bad
attitude. Why would I enjoy
singing nothing but depressing,
boring songs all night long?
I got my set list and started
practicing. I remember the first
112 | Eydis Magazine
time I thought, “Hey, this isn’t
as bad as I thought.” I started
researching blues music and
where it came from. I began
to realize that any genre
can be influenced by blues,
just by infusing it with a few
simple chords or well-known
instruments. It can be a genre
all on its own of course, but
you can also have jazz-blues,
country-blues, and R&B-blues
and they all sound different.
Yes, the songs were sad, but
it was almost a celebration
of sadness and the downside
of life. It was a part of living
to which everyone in the
audience could instantly relate.
I found myself becoming
excited about blues.
Now, did the blues cause me
to get a new haircut, travel
the world, and save millions
of orphaned sea lions with
cleft palates? Of course
not. But it did change my
perspective, which I like to
believe led to several other
small life changes over time.
The worst thing that could
happen with this experiment is
that you try listening to another
genre and confirm that you
don’t like it. If this is the case, at
least now you’ll know why you
don’t like it and have a solid
argument against it. The best
thing that could happen is you
discover that you actually do
like the genre, and change your
perspective slightly in order to
accept this reality. Once you’ve
done this, you’ll begin to allow
other small changes to enter
your mind. What if you only
thought you hated heights, or
sushi, or haunted houses? What
if you gave that coworker you
don’t like a second chance, and
see if you can find something
you can at least appreciate?
What if you did try that style
you thought you couldn’t pull
off? It all starts with a simple
shift inside your mind, and it’s
as easy as turning on the radio.
Why not try today?
Mella is a session
singer, songwriter
and producer
living in Nashville
Tennessee. Also an
animal lover, she
has three dogs, a rabbit, and any number
of foster animals in various shapes and
sizes. She is the author of Way Less
Cowbell, a book on communicating with
session musicians. If you would like more
information or to hire her onto your
project, please visit www.mellamusic.com