The circumstances of two conversations I had this week exposed an unattractive aspect of my character. In both instances, I stood outside a flashy luxury car as the driver remained seated behind the wheel. Display screens on the dashboards revealed that one person was tuned to a terrestrial pop radio station. The other monitored a talk radio show.
I couldn’t help but judge them. The four-figure resale value of my car may be just a tenth of the cost of my acquaintances’ vehicles but its Bluetooth capacity means I’m always listening to precisely what I intend to hear. Why wasn’t one associate streaming the Miranda Lambert songs I know she loves? The other should have been grooving to hits by the Commodores in his pricey ride.
The dissonance I experienced during these interactions reminds me that not everyone shares my passion for music. I’m often similarly disappointed when sharing music with friends who possess limited palates. A punk-leaning pal was recently mystified when I sent him a link to a favorite soul-jazz song. Conversely, most friends in the jazz community are dumbstruck by my punk inclinations.
I could share my enthusiasm for Håkon Berre’s new album Mirror Matter by texting my contacts in the improvised music community. They’d be receptive to the dazzling solo percussion recording by the Norway-based musician released this week by the Barefoot Records collective. Instead, I’m recommending it here.
Much like Devin Gray, Berre is capable of sustaining attention while manipulating a “vast diversity of trash and objects… materials such as metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, wood and expanded polystyrene.” I’m looking forward to playing Mirror Matter in my car this weekend. Maybe I’ll even find someone with whom to talk.
