Is there such a thing as growing out of music?

[looseye]

It's fairly common that people stop deriving value from video games or movies as they age. Has anyone here experienced such a thing with music?

[TLDR for the rest of the post: I think I did]

I don't know what or why, but a few weeks ago something inside me clicked and since then the enjoyment I've taken from listening to music has been continuously depreciating, down to a point where now I'm completely numb. My entire favorites playlist of 900+ tracks, including songs that always put me in "that special vibe", just sound... boring? I tried new genres, they sucked, I tried songs specifically targetting depression in hopes my ears have magically developed their own consciousness, they sucked, I tried classics/retro, they sucked, I tried radio, it sucked too...
There is no event or series of events I can imagine being the cause for this weird fuckery; really the best analogy would be that of growing out of video games as mentioned at the beginning. I have never experienced such a thing with music and it's kinda scary

 

[GenesAndEnvironment]

I can't enjoy anything or feel positive emotions, but I still listen to music (among other things people usually do for the pleasure). I used to basically only be able to listen to certain types of metal, now I can listen to almost anything. So I didn't really grow out of it yet, I guess.

 

[OrcWitch]

I was way more into music as a teen than I am now. I felt so much energy and emotion towards it but now I just think it's mildly pleasant. I think that's normal even for not-depressed people.

 

[eternalmelancholy]

It is nice discovering new music and movies. I do think tastes change over time but that is natural.

 

[Shadowplay]

It's fairly common that people stop deriving value from video games or movies as they age. Has anyone here experienced such a thing with music?

[TLDR for the rest of the post: I think I did]

I don't know what or why, but a few weeks ago something inside me clicked and since then the enjoyment I've taken from listening to music has been continuously depreciating, down to a point where now I'm completely numb. My entire favorites playlist of 900+ tracks, including songs that always put me in "that special vibe", just sound... boring? I tried new genres, they sucked, I tried songs specifically targetting depression in hopes my ears have magically developed their own consciousness, they sucked, I tried classics/retro, they sucked, I tried radio, it sucked too...
There is no event or series of events I can imagine being the cause for this weird fuckery; really the best analogy would be that of growing out of video games as mentioned at the beginning. I have never experienced such a thing with music and it's kinda scary

So weird you bring this up - over the last couple of years I have felt like this; sort off and on, but it occurred to me in the last day or so that I had gotten over this. I've been super into music over the last year or so, and still into it now which I'm grateful for; one of the few things that gives me any kind of joy. I've had Spotify for just under 2 years and I think that must be part of it. The music I've been getting into is music that I was familiar with, but listening to it a lot more heavily; usually if I don't like something straight away I don't dig it, but doesn't seem the case anymore.

2 possible suggestions:

1. Get paid Spotify (assuming you don't already have it, of course).

2. Go a month without music. Make a note of music you want to listen to while fasting. This could be interesting. Maybe try audiobooks and/or podcasts instead as a substitute.

 

[motel rooms]

It's fairly common that people stop deriving value from video games or movies as they age.

Is it really fairly common that people stop enjoying all movies? I think it mostly happens only to those who suffer from anhedonia

 

[deflationary]

Go a month without music. Make a note of music you want to listen to while fasting. This could be interesting. Maybe try audiobooks and/or podcasts instead as a substitute.

This is what I do. I alternate between mostly listening to music and mostly listening to podcasts at work. I seem to naturally switch it up every couple of weeks or so when I get sick of too much of either.

 

[TheSoulless]

I'm a musician myself but I don't listen to music a lot. It just doesn't do anything for me, and I can't remember if it ever did. Sometimes I cry over specific tracks, but mainly because of nostalgia. Only metal seems to slightly scratch that part of my brain that used to enjoy music.

 

[yive]

should i call myself a musician?.. i'm very sensitive to music and it helps me a bit, because i have nothing else to do except listening to music. at the same time, i'm too apathethic for stuff like movies/games/books/yt videos/streams/walks/other hobbies etc. what i listen to is mainly electronic music, very heavy genres are not for me.

sometimes i play the piano myself. sometimes i find it very hard to concentrate on listening, and then hell begins...

 

[LonelyBrazilian]

I spend all day listening to music. It's the only thing that brings me joy in this life. I don't know what I'm going to do if one day I don't enjoy listening to music anymore.

 

[eternalmelancholy]

should i call myself a musician?.. i'm very sensitive to music and it helps me a bit, because i have nothing else to do except listening to music.

I spend all day listening to music. It's the only thing that brings me joy in this life. I don't know what I'm going to do if one day I don't enjoy listening to music anymore.

Same here. I have really sensitive hearing which makes environmental noise extremely annoying. But it allows me to appreciate music more than the average person I think. Also I think it helps me from overthinking. The ability to just shut off and have a blank mind is the best part about listening to music.

 

[FuneralCry]

Over time we can lose interest and become tired with things. It is the way we are as humans. In my case I do not enjoy anything. I cannot really listen to music with headphones because of tinnitus anyway. I know it can be a depressing, empty feeling when we can no longer enjoy what we once loved. It really is painful being alive.

 

[AhogeSuspension]

Sometimes I have to stop listening to music for awhile because it will start to bother me

 

[Shadowplay]

should i call myself a musician?.. i'm very sensitive to music and it helps me a bit, because i have nothing else to do except listening to music. at the same time, i'm too apathethic for stuff like movies/games/books/yt videos/streams/walks/other hobbies etc. what i listen to is mainly electronic music, very heavy genres are not for me.

sometimes i play the piano myself. sometimes i find it very hard to concentrate on listening, and then hell begins...

What electronic music? I listen to a lot of electronic music. Maybe we need to start a thread....

 

[Shadowplay]

interesting video on the subject

 

[motyxia]

Have you tried listening to Merzbow OP?

I haven't experienced that myself. Sometimes I get a bit bored of some tracks but it's never all music & the boredom for those tracks go away soon. Other than that I'm the opposite, if I go a few hours+ without listening to music I freak out.

So this is a guess(? theory?), possibly useless. Similar to what Shadowplay said about music fasting. Listen to only Merzbow for a bit, you might end up appreciating normal music again. When I listen to Merzbow only for a bit I find listening to normal music again feels fresher(?). I love noisy music so going from Merzbow to my normal level of noisy music isn't as extreme to me as it would be for most, if you're not it might be more impactful & not take as long as no music at all. If you try it I'm curious to know if it does anything.

 

[Shadowplay]

Have you tried listening to Merzbow OP?

I haven't experienced that myself. Sometimes I get a bit bored of some tracks but it's never all music & the boredom for those tracks go away soon. Other than that I'm the opposite, if I go a few hours+ without listening to music I freak out.

So this is a guess(? theory?), possibly useless. Similar to what Shadowplay said about music fasting. Listen to only Merzbow for a bit, you might end up appreciating normal music again. When I listen to Merzbow only for a bit I find listening to normal music again feels fresher(?). I love noisy music so going from Merzbow to my normal level of noisy music isn't as extreme to me as it would be for most, if you're not it might be more impactful & not take as long as no music at all. If you try it I'm curious to know if it does anything.

 

[kurisutinabestgirl]

For me it is happening right now :(, music brings less and less feelings as time is passing by.

I used to have music in my playlist that I always referred to as "holy" because they always conveyed emotions. Even they are starting to fade.

I still listen to music tho, trying to squeeze what little joy I can out of it haha

 

[UseItOrLoseIt]

Depends entirely on my mood and level of sobriety. While video games do nothing for me anymore (I've been a gamer for 15 years) music can still transport me away from this place. It doesn't always work, most of the time I'm too demotivated to even try to listen, but if I'm absent minded enough to start with, I can get lost in the music.

 

[miserableforever]

That's me on and off as well, depending on the mental torture/groping level my co-parenting ex puts me through.
I either feel nothing listening to music or it makes me angry.

The only thing that keeps me sane is my online video game I play for 2 hours a night. It's comforting to see familiar faces there that also have been around for years.