Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing

I used to listen to each album I bought obsessively. 20, 50, 100+ times…and when I listened, that’s all I would do. No reading, no surfing the web, no blogging or monitoring play counts…I just listened.

Now, I doubt I listen to most albums I buy more than a few times each. Is the music worse or less creative? (debatable, but I think there’s still plenty of great new music out there.) Do I have less time? (probably, but this is more about how I spend the time that I have.) Have shuffle play and access to every album I own all the time ruined my attention span? (Definitely.)

It’s easy to say “so what” and go back to checking my Twitter feed and my Tumblr dashboard, idly flipping through songs on iTunes…but I think I’m losing something. I’m no longer engaging with music the way I used to in the past; forming deep connections with songs and albums that become an integral part of my life. Same goes for literature, art, even tv and movies - there’s so much out there - and I’m constantly acquiring more of it - that I never take the time to truly engage and understand and appreciate and love what I have.

That’s one of my challenges for 2012. Engagement. To stop brushing across things on the surface level and to truly give myself time - and make the effort - to engage deeply and completely with the things I love. And, for that matter, the people I love (because this applies there too - and it’s actually a lot more important.)

It requires being more selective, devoting more time to each album or book or show I choose…but I think, ultimately, it’s going to be so much more rewarding.

So, for the record, the first album of 2012? Let’s Go Eat the Factory - Guided By Voices (yes, I’m aware of the irony of “engaging completely” with a band that makes songs that sound like they were thrown together in the garage in 5 minutes - but you can and should do it - listen to Bee Thousand or Alien Lanes.) The first book? I just bought it - it’s called Reality Hunger by David Shields.