Musically, I like to think I have pretty eclectic tastes: Taiko, 80's, videogame music, Heavy Metal, instrumental soundtracks, Hip-Hop, Funk, Electronic, some Rap, Big Band/Symphonic, world music...lots of genres. I know what I don't like as well, but it's a much smaller grouping.
I strongly believe that for taiko players, how we solo and compose is strongly influenced by what we listened to growing up - and to some degree, what we listen to now. Another element that influences us is the group(s) we play with, especially how other people solo, but I've written about that before.
The reason for the post today is because I've started to explore dubstep, which is a genre I've not given much attention before. I know dubstep gets a lot of scorn, for reasons I won't go into here, but as a genre there are some very interesting things that have been done since its start in 1999. There are some amazing uses of the "drop bass" and syncopation done at faster tempos. I'm finding it very inspirational in terms of thinking of rhythms in new ways!
Now, I don't recommend dubstep for everyone, and some of you might hate it outright, but my point is that if we want to grow as musicians, as artists, we need to be exposed to more things. Stuck in a solo rut? Listen to a new music genre. Stuck in a compositional rut? Learn the basics of a martial art or dance form (YouTube is great for this).
I'd be curious to hear if anyone reading this does discover a new art form that inspires them, so please let me know!
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