Why I've stopped defending Twiddle on the Internet!

I discovered Twiddle in 2012.  It was love at first listen.  The music speaks to me.  I have a love for vocalists with mildly sharp tonal qualities.  Lyrically, Twiddle is fun, passionate, insightful, and even absurd. I hear influences from some of my favorite bands.  And live shows are never really the same.  And then there is the fan base.  Seriously some of the most friendly, wonderful, sweet spirited people I have ever met.

And I'm not quite sure why, but despite the band's growing success (oh, maybe that's a clue), the internet is filled with haters.  I post a lot of pictures from shows and events.  And I post a lot of the band's music, video, reviews and promotional information. And almost always, someone has to insert their "Twiddle is overrated" two cents.  And for a while, I would find myself at the center of ridiculous debates.  I spent way too much time defending a band, that based on their exponential growth, really didn't need my defending. 

As a child/teen obsessed with music in the late 80’s and early 90’s, I spent hours in my bedroom wrapped in the cords of my headphones while pouring over the liner notes of my favorite albums.

Some of my friends had similar musical taste, while others didn’t get my fan girl obsession over bands like Duran Duran, R.E.M., Nirvana, The Smiths or the Cure. Music was my life’s soundtrack. Certain album’s hold autobiographical memories. I know exactly where I was the first time I heard “The Sweater Song” by Weezer or exactly which of my friends gave me a dubbed copy of Nine Inch Nails “Pretty Hate Machine.” And I know exactly where I was the first time I heard Twiddle. 

I have always had very strong opinions about music.  Finding my new music is a form of sport to me. I'm a self proclaimed Queen of Music Promotion.  When I find music that speaks to me, I often feel it's my duty to share it with others.  The skill has served me well. 

But when I encountered peers whose musical taste didn’t coincide with mine, I never felt the need to dismiss their musical taste or to defend mine own.  I'll always willing listen to a song or two, even check out a band live before checking the "DO NOT LIKE" box on any musical artist.  It’s a preference.  No different than my desire to spend my early teens wearing Doc Martens, converse, flannel shirts, Goodwill corduroy and baby T’s while my high school counterparts were sporting Keds, shoulder pads, ADIDAS or Umbro’s.

And disliking music doesn't negate the art.  It takes talent to create music.  Sometimes the world's most over-saturated  pop music is create by teams of genius musicians, marketing gurus, fashion icons, and a whole host of artists with their hand in the end product. 

I was raised to understand that my opinion was just that - my opinion. I was also raised to understand that just because I have an opinion, doesn’t mean that I have been garnered the right to shove my views on others or dismiss someone because their opinion is different than mine. But I also wasn’t raised with access to the same type of modern day technology that fostered what I consider to be "right to post" internet thought process.

Discretion in life is key.  And for the most part no one needs to know that your landlord is a douchebag, that your girlfriend is a cheating whore or that the salad you just ate needed more dressing (oh yes, I’ve seen that as a status update.)

Folks coming of age in this day of modern technology don’t know a world where you didn’t have the viral right to post your business (and anyone else’s for that matter) to a world waiting for uploaded content.  And sometimes, I think folks my age ( ya know, people born sometime after the moon landing, but before MTV stopped playing music video) have forgotten the basic Thumper rule they were raised on.  “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

And THAT is why I have stopped defending my music choices online.  I don’t feel the need to tell someone their favorite band sucks.  And when I come across a thread or an internet troll that wants to try and discredit the music that makes me happy, I simply move on.  Because the bottom line is that my long winded rebuttal as to why the music makes me happy isn’t going to be the reason they stop being miserable.

Instead, I focus my energy on finding the people that want to hear and enjoy the music exactly like I do.  Because those people are out there.  And instead of spending hours of my time with my fingers to the keyboard in a battle of the wits with an unarmed person, I’d rather be listening to the music.  I'd rather be working a second job, so I can drive four hours one way to hear 90 minute of music with the  room full of people just like me.  I'd rather be spreading the love than adding fuel onto a fire I can never put out. 

So stop battling with someone that wants to waste their time on negative pursuits.  Silence is powerful in times of aggression.  Instead, engage with someone who needs their spirits lifted or a message of love or share a funky jam that you can’t help but dance to.

You don’t need to convince anyone that the music that makes you happy is worthy of their approval.  There are plenty of people around you that already agree with you.  And there are plenty of people just like you that want to explore the variety of wonderful music in the world. Go celebrate the commonality with them instead.