I occupy my spare time with various activities, but if I really want to unwind and relax, I like to engage myself with my passion for music; listening, playing, reading or learning. Of the many forms of music, classical or serious music appeals the most to me. Why? My personal opinion is that, to be able to begin to appreciate serious music, to a certain degree, you have to be "initiated". It is difficult for an inexperienced listener to fully enjoy serious music. This is because someone who, for example, is only used to listening to pop music has not learnt and is not accustomed to listening to something, which requires and demands the listener's full attention. Enthusiastic fans of mainstream modern pop music often notice that when they listen to a new song in, for example, the top 40, they may need to listen to it a few times before judging whether they like it or not. This type of music is, on the whole, easy to listen to and appreciate. It can also, especially with teenagers, play an important social role, for example, when a group of friends like the same styles of music.
It is important to learn that, when attempting to listen to serious music, it essential to realise that you have to concentrate much more while listening. The music may demand the listener's full attention. Inexperienced listeners find that, whenever they may listen to a piece of serious music, it simply goes in one ear and comes out the other, it bores them, they find there is no melody or so little repetition. The biggest problem an "uninitiated" listener encounters is that he has to learn to "listen" to the music.
In general, in mainstream commercial pop music, an artist tries to earn as much money as possible by writing music in a certain manner and style which is fashionable, and which the top 40 listener can quickly appreciate. To a certain extent, the listener decides what sort of music the artist writes.
