Listener's block

Have you ever been in the situation where you can really grasp one of your favourite pieces of music? A song, a sonata, it doesn't matter, you love a certain piece but sometimes you can't truly delve into it. That's bad news. Like writer's block.

I'm intrigued by this. Are you saying that it's frustrating to enjoy a piece of music when you can't identify what exactly it is you love about it? Or perhaps you mean you don't feel you can give it all the attention it deserves, like something is stopping you from fully getting into it?

Sorry I wasn't clear.

I meant not being able to find comfort in the music you used to love. No emotional response.

Oh, yes. Apologies for being slow. I know exactly what you are talking about. That's one of the saddest things I know.

Right?! It's completely awful and I don't understand why it happens, as there are songs or genres for virtually any emotion out there, or lack of.

I mean, it makes sense if a piece you used to love now reminds you of a specifically bad thing, but when it just ceases to move you, that's just baffling and depressing. I have a long list of records I can't listen to from my college years, because I have this block.

Is Joy Division a case of listener's block for you these days?

I'm sure you're not the only one who feels this way Sorry to hear that.

It just ceases to move me, like having this... amnesia that keeps me from remembering the love of my life.

It mostly is. I used to immerse myself in Curtis' voice so deep it was glorious, peaceful even, but today I can't feel a thing. It happens with every genre I love and every artist I appreciate on a deeper level. And it sucks because music had always been my last resort when feeling down. Now it just makes me feel more irritated.

Thanks, Mickey. It's weird as I think I said because when you're sad, you just play a sad song, same happens when you're happy. But nothing? Where did that come from?

Hope you get better.

Hi lowpoint

I'd say that being "down" probably has everything to do with it from what you've said, and I am sorry that you've lost that connection with the music that really "reached you"
But you know with depression that sense of apathy or emptiness.........and the sense that some things don't feel as good as they could, don't taste as good as they could, don't look as attractive as they could...........then sometimes in depression/when you're really "down" it can sometimes it can take different things to "reach you".........and sometimes those things can be entirely different things than have "reached you" before...........or things that "reach you" on a different level, sometimes that might be more of what you need, to help you feel "connected" or to distract you slightly from.............so perhaps "go wild" exploring loads of completey different things, things you wouldn't otherwise have listened to..........
If you're not able to "connect" on one level to what you did...........then maybe on another level with something else............
And as you're working through the way you're feeling (with our help if you need it!!), or on a "better" day, then there's nothing to say that those "passions" won't return
Hang on in there, the "mostly Joy Division" and the exact way you felt about that music can still be waiting for you...........there is still a "tomorrow"..........but let's just work on today hey?? And if there's any support we can give you with the way you're feeling, you're not alone, we're here for you

And sending hugs



Alison

I listen to Joy Division a lot. Sometimes I have to take a break from it though because it can make me depressed. Ian Curtis wrote a lot about his pain, epilepsy and the meds made him feel bad. He was having a difficult relationship with his wife. Then he ended up taking his own life. Potent stuff.

I don't know. I often find that I have simply listened to a song to exhaustion, and quite frankly I don't find anything strange about that. And sometimes I stop listening to a song for a few years, and after that break it excites me again.

Although when a song has a connection to some event in my life, it's usually negative, because I tend to only remember negative events, so I don't exactly miss those connections.

I don't quite understand you this time, Ali, I'm a little fuzzy here, maybe I misread?

Indeed. A lot of frustration too.