Why Gen Z Doesn't Care About Music

I discuss my theory as to why the GEN Z generation doesn't care about music.
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[@patrickryan7199]

This video explores a fascinating topic, from many perspectives, i.e. cognitive sciences, musicology, and the art form itself. While there are clear differences in generational experiences of music, Rick is asking the important, difficult and ultimately philosophical question, of what these differences mean for the future of music. The formative experiences of Rick’s and my generation occurred before the internet, and even before digitization. Our parents’ generation, and their parents’ before them, had rich experiences of music in the culture. Pianos were commonplace, musical education was respected and valued, and music was interwoven in society, from experiences in churches to dances to any formal public gathering. Since then, the changes have not only accelerated but have deepened. Musical experience, perception, and understanding all interlace as a kind of weave of resilience that has been weakened, in much the same way that a sustainable ecological system is weakened as its’ biodiversity is diminished. In both spheres, we careen toward disaster; the landscape is bleak. A gen Z’er who never took a music lesson (whose parents didn’t either), who never danced to a live band, whose only experience of music is through a video game or an auto-tuned formulaically homogenized “product” is less likely to notice that the fabric of complexity of emotionally expressive music is unraveling. The minimization of music and the related plague of musical illiteracy in recent generations has given us people whose “sensing abilities” (re: musical perception) have atrophied, like an organ that once served a function, or a muscle that’s no longer used. It’s comparatively like an ecologically ruined landscape, where a rich and varied diversity has unraveled and disappeared to the point where it is all but eclipsed from memory. The rapid rate of technological change has most certainly altered how people experience and interact with music, even changing the human organism, developmentally and structurally, over time. The change has been so rapid that even the most dedicated defenders of the art form are reeling, as evidenced in Rick’s post. Music helps develop the empathetic feeling of the human organism, aids in resonating with the expression that comes from the language of melody, rhythm and harmony, in particularly in an improvisational context. As musical experience and literacy decline, attention spans get shorter. Instant gratification and addiction replace knowledge and any discretionary aesthetic. The discipline which leads to understanding and valuing music as contributing to a healthy, vibrant culture, is lost.

[@Rational_Mind]

Brilliant comment! So exquisitely stated. This is exactly what I think but could never have put into words as well as you did. And looking from an even bigger picture perspective, what you stated is applicable to so many other areas of life as well. I fear for mankind.

[@nathanclark4674]

This could not have been articulated better.

[@marcosbl100]

Your comment is so accurate, it makes me sad that this generation is getting more and more desensitized in regards to human empathy and love. Technology is transforming humans into robots with no soul

[@tfragia1]

Bleak but well put. I guess I'm more concerned about future generations just sitting on their ass all day not getting any exercise. They watch sports but don't play sports. 🙄 Here's hoping the trend reverses some day.

[@samcoffeymusic]

An "organ that once served a function", that's deep, like a musical tailbone? Sad but true. I think keeping the ability to hear and appreciate (and perform) music alive in successive generations will depend on the parents' degree of respect toward it as expressed in the home during kids' formative years. I never gave my kids piano lessons or forced them to play an instrument. I just practiced piano, wrote songs and enjoyed music daily. Now my daughter plays the piano & sings, and my son plays drums, piano and sings. And they gravitated toward music simply because they saw me doing it passionately.

[@aaroncoulter3462]

My oldest was born in 2009. I've tried to get my kids interested in music, but to no avail. I usually play Rock, Blues, or Jazz in the truck when we go places and tell them stories about the musicians. Anyway, my boys wanted to go for ice cream the other day and I wasn't playing any music. My oldest said...Dad, put on some Rock and Roll and tell us a story. I was so happy.

[@InnuendoXP]

I was born in 1990 & I never had much interest in music outside soundtracks to things I liked until my mid teens. It isn't a generational thing, just an age thing.

[@sixbsteve]

Totally cool man. Would have made my day!

[@markkartchner5614]

Yes! Mine requests Play Boston!😆

[@whatdothlife4660]

I ...

[@theproceedings4050]

You sound like a great dad dude.

[@King-Of-The-Demons]

I’m gen z and music is one of the most important things in the world to me, I honestly don’t think my life would be the same without it.

[@jackiep5009]

Me too. Listening to Rick talk about the Global top 10 nearly made me cry. It’s over. He’s an upbeat guy and the nicest thing he could say was “this is song” about Miley Cyrus

[@Samuelisakson]

​@jackiep5009 music is my everything, and it's so sad to see that such amazing artists aren't appreciated while garbage like mumble rap are being praised

[@N0p3er5]

@@Samuelisaksonthank you for this. And that crappy quality triple high hat can also go away. And auto tune (most of the time) , dubstep (killed IDM, I'm so mad), and grunge should have aborted Theory of a Nickel Creed.

[@atlus6772]

​@@N0p3er5 I honestly don't mind the use of autotune as long as it's used as a tool in the shed and not a crutch to make the song sound good.

[@N0p3er5]

@@atlus6772 I know you are right. It's just rare that it's used in a non annoying way. I mean, Duck Guy from Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, his voice was autotune!

[@vampzombiewitch]

I’m 27, born in 1996 & I grew up obsessing over music from a VERY young age maybe 4 or 5. I had so many cd’s & cassettes. music has always been a necessity. It’s an escape. I had a very traumatic childhood so I would lock myself in my room & escape with music every single day. It got me through everything. It still does.I also did band through middle & high school. Now as an adult I’ve started a huge record collection & am taking guitar lessons. I can’t imagine going one day without music.I think some people just casually enjoy music & for others, like myself, music is what gets us through life & we live & breathe it !!

[@artshahumyan]

Same🤍

[@maninatreeproductions9588]

Video games got me into music. While playing games like Final Fantasy III I would often stop playing just to enjoy the music. This led me to composers like Nobuo Uematsu, which then led me to his influences like Elton John and various 70’s prog bands.

[@agrisimfarming]

The mega man x games got me into rock and metal.

[@l30n.marin3r0]

Fellow Final Fantasy VI enjoyer. Same story here, that game alone turned me into computers and music.

[@rafael7899]

FFVI ❤ Now we're talking about culture!

[@JosephWalker-ip7pd]

I would love to hear what rick thinks about some video game music tracks.

[@l30n.marin3r0]

Ridge Racer Type 4 OST is a killer, that soundtrack is a beast, has to be my favorite album ever @@JosephWalker-ip7pd

[@theomegamuffin7346]

I'm a younger gen z and I've always obsessed over music, but I've noticed almost all my friends or kids I talk to aren't all interested in music and I struggle to connect to them in that way.

[@loubar2134]

exactly my experience as well, when i was in school i found out i was the only one in my class and my best friend's class that was so deeply invested in music, safe to say it felt pretty lonely

[@LoyalOpposition]

You gotta spoonfeed them. Trust me, I know. But if you make it easy for them, giving them a thumb drive to listen to their car, or e-mailing them videos via wetransfer, you can make a difference. Then THEY will do the same, and pretty soon, everyone does because they don't want to be "out of the loop". Good luck!

[@SeeSawMassacre]

I find everyone, regardless of age, to be annoyingly disinterested nowadays. Most people just aren't passionate about anything now. They put a lot of importance and energy into politics and social media and money, but try talking to someone about music, art, rock climbing, sewing or whatever and they won't even listen to you.

[@undrwrldsk8fred]

You mean you struggle to connect *with* them? Or are you actually struggling to connect them like an actual game of connect the dots cuz EVERYTHING IS ABOUT GAMES WITH GEN Z APPARENTLY

[@richiemyoozik]

Same I feel you i get Turn down from it

[@Fubbernutt]

I’m a gen z kid. I think it’s interesting to hear your perspective. I think a lot of people my age don’t have as much of a connection to music as other generations did, but it’s still a big part of their lives. The difference is that, on average, listening to music isn’t as active for us. Most people I know listen to music while they’re doing other things or as a background thing. People listen to music while they’re studying or walking home, things like that. I think it’s partially because music is so easily accessible now. It’s not like a ritual to open up a CD or record and listen to the whole thing through like it was for my parents. You just kinda look up what you want to hear and add it to a playlist. That doesn’t mean we aren’t listening to music as much, it just means it isn’t really in the foreground. That’s probably why it seems like we aren’t as passionate about it. I’d argue there’s a lot more passion there than it seems, it’s just manifested in a different way. Cool video though. You made some interesting points.

[@Mopsie]

Agreed, I’m a millennial and do it both ways. Sometimes I actively listen to music I love. But most of the time it’s a background thing. I’m almost 30 lol

[@salvatorepitea5862]

Good point.. Im gen X .an i listen to music in the morning during my coffee n cannabis "Wake n Bake"

[@fakeyogurt7998]

100% agree

[@Fubbernutt]

@@salvatorepitea5862 lol nice

[@artursousa2337]

Perfectly said. I'm a millenial myself, but grew up to gen x parents who had an special way to listen to music, which truly made myself different on that aspect. On saturdays mornings, sometimes afternoons, we would all sit on a carpet with cushions, in front of our sound system, and stop everything we were doing just to listen to whole albums my mother had just ordered, and talk about it. We discussed the lyrics and instruments for hours, analysed LPs and CD covers, did get real deep in the music and of course, we bonded together. And that's how we deal with music to this day: it's not just soundtrack for doing some other thing, listening to music is a thing in itself, it could be emotional, deep, and could leave beautiful marks on your life experience, if you permit so.

[@Frygonz]

This comment will get buried, but I'll give my take. I'm a gen z (24) band director. I know from my own life that this partly comes from a deficit of boredom in young peoples' lives. Boredom is a valuable thing because it pushes you to make decisions about your future and use your free time for learning or creation. With short form entertainment, every nook and cranny of everyone's day is filled with stimulant. Therefore, the little pushes that happen that get someone to finally explore an instrument have gone down in frequency. I sit for hours on shorts/reels. It is poison. I have a saxophone and want to become a great improvisor, why haven't I picked it up today? That said, I don't think gaming itself is a factor, because games still require focus and practice; it's the auxiliary media connected with gaming and that media's entire ecosystem that is causing the phenomenon that you're witnessing.

[@helldotsin]

He also said that my generation, millennial, knows nothing but the internet. He says that he knows what kids these days are into, but that is a lie.

[@LeeHawkinsPhoto]

I am 46…I have to agree that boredom…or even just quiet moments alone are when my brain finally feels free and sorts out my thoughts, and I come up with more clarity and more ideas on things. I have far fewer of those moments for my brain to do what it does because I’m always stimulated by KZbin or Reddit or something that just wastes my mental and emotional energy that could be used for creative purposes…or even just cleaning the house lol. I think this is a huge point you’ve made here. I have tried to spend less of my day on my stupid phone so my brain can decide what I actually want instead of scrolling to some new time filler I haven’t seen yet. I think you’ve just inspired me to get off YT! 😂 Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[@kevinkhoy7171]

Very good at synopsis

[@okcool9898]

25 here and it is the same for me. Music is my number 1, making and listening to music almost every day. I dont have the goal anymore to build a career off of it, i tried to maybe become a music producer but all the anxiety and pressure that comes with it really took the fun away. so i decided that i could earn money anyways by workin in a normal job and music will just be the thing i explore and have fun with. If something should work out music-wise, thats cool, if not, cool too. Music is way too important for me to just put all that pressure on myself. I dont want it to feel like university or school lol. Music is what i have fun with

[@doughorton3635]

Rick, I'm only a year or two younger than you. When I was a teenager there were times I would put on the headphones, lie down, and simply "listen" to an album. I wouldn't do anything else. Simply close my eyes and listen. If I had time, I'd put on a double album (such as the white album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, or Quadraphenia) and lose myself in the experience. Even today, I can simply listen to music without needing to do anything else.

[@NAlvazaz]

I used to wear headphones a good part of the day at 12-13 years old. My neighbors would tease me by calling me "Radio Head". You could use music to isolate yourself too, I agree.

[@seghj]

I was born in 82 and am a HUGE music nerd. I put on my headphones and listen to "Tales from topographic oceans" by Yes without doing anything else. Imagine GenZ doing that😅....

[@drc3po]

That is what audiophiles do routinely

[@rodneybrocke]

Yes. I used to do this too. My faves in the 70s were Kansas, Boston, Styx, The Cars, and Rush and I used to love listening to the whole album on headphones. It was similar to the experience of going to the theatre and watching a good movie.

[@theancientone1616]

@@seghj I'm from 2005 and I do that. Simply put on an album and listen while sitting outside or taking a walk or simply lying down. Eh, but maybe you're right as I feel as though I don't belong, I don't know anyone else around my age that does that.

[@Neimykanani]

I’m an older Gen Z but video games actually got me into music and into classical music. It made me interested in learning piano as well

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

I'd wager this is more common now than it was when I was a kid. Towards my teenaged years we got a sound card and could hear something more sophisticated than the simple speakers that could mostly just beep. Before that it was 8-bit, at best, and it mostly didn't sound so great. I remember some of the games though, from the midish '90s could allow you to put a CD into the drive and listen to that as you played.

[@lubormrazek5545]

I mean as someone born in 2004 my way into swing/jazz (one of my favorite genres was through a videogame - Mafia II

[@4zafinc]

How often would you say it happens among your peers?

[@lowreslireas]

Outlast and its ending theme (that back in 2013 I thought was the greatest musical piece ever) got me into classical music as well

[@jamesmartin7165]

@@lubormrazek5545 I was born in 2004 and GTA got me hooked into 80s pop and 60s-70s classic rock.

[@ethan6840]

There are a lot of people my age who couldn’t care less about music and I could never understand that. Music is my entire life, I couldn’t go a day without it.

[@hrvatskicetnik]

for real

[@danielaravenous]

Yes, many of my ex highschool classmates in the 90s never cared about music

[@Erickhetfield]

I'm 29 and most people my age and even 10 or 20 years older don't care about music either. Maybe if it's something nostalgic. But that's it.

[@stacyrynd7110]

My mother was like that. She never, ever played music in the car or house. Strangely enough, when she was young, she was a good enough violinist to be pretty high up in the ranks of Los Angeles youth symphony.

[@masteroffear5762]

@@stacyrynd7110 Strange, is that because of trauma or what? i don't get it

[@yavuz2638]

There is an intense visual and auditory bombardment not only in games, but also on Instagram, KZbin and the entire internet. And new generations are growing up in this chaos. That's why it's now difficult to truly experience a masterpiece produced with effort and knowledge. In fact, every second they are presented with "products" that are packaged with ready-made visuals and music, and which are easy to consume. Being surrounded by technology lowers people's attention threshold, and it is very difficult to resist this.

[@Scorpshead]

Class of 1989 here. As a kid growing up in the 90s & early 00s, I think the majority of kids then were able to balance things out. We love our music, games, tv shows, films, sports, books. We're probably the last gen that went out & explored our surroundings, socialised w/out having social medias. We were there when the internet & smartphones & gadgets started to get big & saw their evolution. Back then, there's something for everybody to get into, or if you were like me; you can get into all sort of things all at once. & it still continues till this day. I play music & I play video games too. IMO 1 of the main issues here is convenience*. When everything's easy, we humans tend to be less interested or less appreciative. Sometimes we even ignore it & didn't even realise it's there. Whatever the thing is. This goes with what Rick is pointing out in this video. "Oh, i didn't realise there's music in this video game" kinda vibe. We've came so far in terms of technology that the game from 30yrs ago only have like robotic generic sounds compared to full audio experiences of today. Kids today will never understand the rush of waiting in line for a new album or new game release. Buying them with the school money that was saved for months. Like, why wait in line when you can order it online with your parents' credit card &have the thing delivered. & watch the review of it while waiting, eh? Or the feeling you had while sitting in front of a tv set waiting for your fav music video to be played by MTV. Now, They have all sort of streaming platforms on demand at their disposal. Or the happiness when you unwrap the new cassette or cd & then proceed to spend the rest of the week playing it & reading the lyric sheets & leaving the rest with your imagination. Kids today prefer visuals. They like their audio with something that the eye can see, like tik tok shorts. This is not a "my gen is better than your gen" comment to the kids of today. On the contrary, I'd like to think I was lucky to be born at the right time & with the right family. I owe my love for music to my family. My mother & brothers listen to many great music & it influenced my upbringing. & I discovered more music with tv shows, wrestling & yes.. video games, too. When I discovered good music or musicians. I dug deeper into what makes it good. One thing led to another. Rock led to blues, for instance. Sadly today, the attention span of most kids is not that long. They like something, then they move on to the next cool trendy thing. We have to accept that music is not the only cool thing anymore, like how it was. It's there. & will still be there when we are all gone. But it falls in the background compared to other hobbies that kids today prefer. Just my 2 cents

[@jonnitti1]

I think that's really weird because video games definitely helped me get into music. A LOT of video game soundtracks have shaped my music taste

[@Doodle1678]

Same

[@flavoredwallpaper]

Looking back at my favorite games, they tend to have really great soundtracks. I think it's an important part of gaming. But also television. Movies. Everything really. Music is everywhere. I think our relationship with music may have changed over the years, but it's still there and always will be.

[@Doodle1678]

@@flavoredwallpaper I agree!

[@formulaic78]

I played videogames a lot growing up in the 80s and 90s. But I also listened to music. Maybe the difference is the cellphone and safety culture. When you can literally always play a game or watch a video and there's less meeting up with friends independently to do whatever you wanna do, music gets shoved out. In college we would play videogames on a shared big screen, but also watch MTV on that screen and also go to bars and clubs where we heard new music and then played it in the dorm on stereos.

[@jonnitti1]

@@formulaic78 I'd argue that now we have access to so much music and everything is curated specifically to your tastes. I don't think cellphones make things better for music fans. Especially since nowyou don't have to pay per album. Personally I don't know how much truth there is to what Rick is saying because it's all anecdotal.

[@demonic7253]

Games actually broadened my taste. It feels great when game developers put music in the right place. The emotional investment makes the music more memorable.

[@hunterwaynehiggins]

MGSV's use of The Man Who Sold the World was the first time i had heard the original, and i fuckin love that one now.

[@figloalds]

Video game soundtracks became my favorite "music genre" Be it relaxing like Minecraft or metal like Doom, synphonic, electronic or whatever mash of genres, I love it. I also love when they make music systems that dynamically and seamlessly evolve the same song depending on the current game conditions, like in NieR Automata, where every music has 3 or 4 different dynamic versions, FF7 Remake which has dynamic music for combat areas, Monster Hunter World which has dynamic theme for each monster which changes depending if you're fighting, mounting or chasing it, and even Genshin Impact recently which has some dynamic themes in The Chasm region Speaking of Genshin Impact it has one of the best musical work of any game I played recently, it's very extensive and very good, I love it

[@carstenwurth1677]

Cuphead

[@akkidyy]

The final fantasy series got me into listening to music when i was like 13. Ended up playing through all the games just to discover all the great tunes each game had to offer. And i have to say, Nobuo Uematsu is a genius!

[@iohannesfactotum]

Fallout had the best soundtracks

[@IVANGARCIA-ks4vp]

We filled our days with music, cinema, books, and comic books. Nowadays they barely have anytime left after instagram and tiktok.

[@Sannypowa]

Gen Z doesn't understand music, that's why performers make more money than real artists. Let's spit the truth.

[@danherrick5785]

Performers - All image - little value - big cars and houses - drugs and death. Artists - reality - real value -starving artists - bicycles - simple long life. Which path is more valuable?

[@Sannypowa]

@@danherrick5785 Artists all the way

[@sluggibammy]

What don’t they understand? What do you understand that every single person born from 1997 to 2012 doesn’t?

[@greco-romano9852]

Okay let's not go crazy. Elvis was a performer too, let's not forget he wrote almost none of his material.

[@danherrick5785]

@@greco-romano9852 And look how he turned out.

[@travelchic908]

I'm GenX and I can't imagine my life without music. It got me through so much. However back then you could see your fave bands for $20!

[@symptomofsouls]

Back then you could see your favorite band for $20 Now to see my favorite band I have to drive 10 hours through 3 states, spend a night in a hotel, and it costs me about $800

[@bridgestreetdesign]

I’m genx as well but my favorite bands back in the day were between $5 and $7. If it was more than $8 we thought they were getting too big for their britches. Oh the foolishness of youth…

[@las8883]

I’m millennial and I agree. Music is very important to me.

[@alfredocanas6802]

I'm Gen-X, I just can't enjoy a video game without a good chiptune or music, a game without good music is a game without a soul.

[@MarvinHartmann452]

Yeah, nowaday going to à concert is way too expensive for ordinary teens.

[@lower7896]

The video game that changed my life music wise was Grand Theft Auto Vice City when I was 21. Just driving around and listening to all the 80’s classics just inspired me to search bands and pop artists of that era. It totally expanded my mind and helped me grow an appreciation for music of all eras.

[@relaxmarco]

That’s a great soundtrack indeed

[@dohczeppelin37]

Me too. As a teenager in the early 00's I mostly listened to 80s hair metal because of VROCK. Two! Minutes! To miiiiiidnight!

[@jokester5130]

Nothing like blasting 2 Tickets to Paradise while flying around in the plane

[@Tocametalheart]

Push it to the limiiiiiiiit!

[@johng5710]

YES!!!

[@CaptainVelveeta]

Gen X'r here. As someone who decided late in life to pursue a side gig in music production, it's EXTREMELY challenging trying to figure out how to approach the industry as a productive endeavor. The point you make is right on mark and the music "business model" is almost unrecognizable to me. The challenge in creating market viability for a song is overwhelming. I guess the fact that, access to music is basically a free-for-all these days might have an impact but I would love to see you do a video addressing that very subject. "How To Be A Successful Gen X Producer In Todays Business Model"

[@SusannMarieDye]

Throw darts?

[@ThaiThom]

There's no point in it. It's just a waste of time. It's also full of the most egotistical narcissistic people you will ever meet.

[@Paula-133]

I know very few people under 50, who have an interest in learning to play an instrument . I'm 73, my brothers and I all took music lessons as children and grow-up playing several instruments. We loved buying sheet music and listening to all kinds of music. Most houses had pianos even really poor kids and I am still thrilled by soundtracks. I picked up harp and flute since the pandemic and I love having something that can reflect my inner feelings the way playing or appreciating music. I admit that much of the music I listen to now is coming from outside the US. it's just more interesting and not afraid to go deeper.

[@noahjames8374]

I feel like I have an interesting perspective on this convo… I’m a gen Zer (born in ‘99), but I’m also in my first year of being a music teacher in public schools. I think Rick is right in some ways here, but I think he’s missing out on some insights too. In my experience, I’ve been astonished by how many kids get their music tastes from video games and meme culture. I think where Rick is correct is that their engagement with music looks SUPER different compared to folks in his generation, in that music for music’s sake isn’t as explicitly of a cultural force as is was then. Where I think he gets it a little wrong is in whether kids are interested in music. In my experience, the difference is that music and individual kids’ taste in music is growing increasingly personal and private. Headphones are WAY more common than they were when Rick was a kids, as are personal devices on which kids can access music. I think the result of that is that kids are a lot slower to share their music with one another or with adults than they used to be, but I don’t think music is becoming less of a part of their lives, I think it just looks that way from the outside because music has been personalized so much that it’s not as openly talked about as it used to be. You have to really earn a kids trust over time these days to get them to share their music with you. But once they really do open up, a truly astonishing percentage of the kids I teach are obsessed with music that they engage with through video games and TikTok, and it’s really awesome to see young people start their musical lives with access to such a broad diversity of musical styles. It looks very very different from how it was when Rick was a kid, or even from when I was a kid as an older gen Zer (my formative memories revolve around saving my allowance to buy songs on iTunes and sifting through stacks of CDs at second hand stores). Music is still going strong in us youngins, I promise!

[@rsbreth]

Well - there's hope there, thank you. Being a music teacher is awesome - I work for a public school system and I have the utmost respect for our teachers!

[@joshoakley4856]

This echoes what I've observed - the focus on "cringe" and "not being cringe" probably has a lot to do with it. It seems very likely that the emo subculture was the very end of teenagers having a tribal identity based around the kind of music they liked, the the final chapter after a few decades in the 20th century where what sort of music you liked was paramount. I've suspected part of it is ease of discovery: I spent so much time in my teenage years of the late 90s discovering music, then Napster came out and it was suddenly absurdly easy. I still spent that last couple years of teenage life downloading as much as I could, but I felt the value decline from where it had been in 1999. Now you could just listen to a "This is …" playlist, something that I would have spent 3 years compiling for 1 or 2 tracks off of 40 CDs in the late 90s.

[@jamesparson]

That is interesting. I recently got myself a Leak 130 amplifier and it can just fill up a whole house with music. It can be a shared experience. Still I find myself listening to music on headphone more often.

[@popoff7808]

This sounds like to me that it ties into a lot of the current axienty and fear mentality. They don't share as openly because they afraiod of being mocked or derided for likeling what they like. Look at Reddit comment of any music board somebody will chime off about how bad something is easy and how bad people are for liking it. As a 90s teen I never really worried about sharing music so much as it was my escape from the crazy family life so I played it often and loud. But also we had MTV and a few other places to come to together on music (your local radio station). So there were these places and points t hat connected people more than today. We couldn't really go off on our adventures like kids today and discover sub-genres of sub-genres and live in the tiny bubbles. Everyone new Madonna or Alanis or Aaliyah etc. because they all went on the same shows and people had a handful of shows they watched as a culture. Now you got millions of options so the tribes are smaller, more protective, I find less open (trusting) to outsiders (i.e. you're not one of us). On the flip side however, I have run into teenagers who love music so much and love the older stuff pre 90s because they discover it on KZbin or wherever and compare to the new stuff and find it just sounds better to them and more interesting and "less fake". I don't think will have the same zeitgeist music moments we used to have or the same level of pop stardom we once knew because the music listening public is WAY to fractured. But I do think we will see the rise of vibrant and string local scenes across the country/world. So say a new San Francisco sound will develop that is totally different from the Cincinnati sound or Chicago or Albuquerque. Much like it was with blues in the 20s/30s/40s...

[@jamesparson]

@@popoff7808 Speaking of small genres, I really Scott Bradlee's Post Modern Jukebox. His band does 1980s music in the style of the 1930s. They do a really good job at it. I don't think I would have found them back in the day.

[@MCSpaz]

As a Gen Zer, music is the only thing in my life that bring me any happiness. My friend and I have already started the planning on creating a band, hell, we almost have an album finished. I thank my parents all the time for listening to the best music in the world that got me so hooked. Video games have always killed time for me but its been wearing off slightly more and more as time passes. Playing guitar and singing are the only things that make me so happy and excited. I dream to be on stage playing for people, whether it will always be a small crowd or a million people, just want to get there. Edit: I will be turning 16 this June

[@volta6525]

Cool what type of music do you guys do?

[@cjscarff6453]

Yo lmk when your album is ready. I’d love to listen to it

[@Cinephileofmany]

That’s great. Keep going. Persevere.

[@MCSpaz]

@@volta6525 not really sure what genre to describe it. We just make something up and then keeping going with it. A good portion of all of our songs have 12 string either as the main sound or background sound. Lots of either metal or clean sounding electrics. And my friend plays drums anyway he can match the tempo of how im playing.

[@Shadezman76]

I’m curious what music your parents listened to that you consider the best music in the world? If I had to guess I’d say music between the 70’s and the 90’s, not trying to nail it down to one genre as most older adults I know(like you parents) like a wide spectrum of music.

[@joysticle]

i'm part of gen z and video games were and still are a source of great music for me. i did notice a lot of the games you listed are much older, therefore the range of what's possible for music isn't as extensive as it is today. another point i'd like to make is that there are so many types of games, like ones that allow you time to relax and enjoy the environment and music, where music is even a large focal point. mario kart is competitive and requires focus, so i understand if music isn't in the foreground of one's mind. and given the fast-paced nature of the game i think the music rightfully serves as backdrop to reflect a mood or ambiance. nowadays, i love me some Jeff Buckley or Amy Winehouse, but the calming sounds of zelda or the jazzy compositions of Shoji Meguro are classics i will continually go back to. those were the songs that really kept me playing the piano. one of my first "mp3s" was interestingly enough through a gaming console. before i had my first iphone, the only solution i had to carry my music everywhere was recording clips of a song or piece on my 3ds (the max of one clip was something like 30 seconds) and pressing play each time one clip ended to listen to an entire song. reflecting on how my personal experience may differ from older generations, looking back at my middle school days and beyond, i noticed that when it came to favorite musicians that that was something hard to pinpoint. with how easily accessible music is now, you can listen to a specific song when you feel like it and just play that on repeat, then move on to a different song you added from a different artist, and the process repeats on and on. it didn't even occur to me that listening to an entire album could be a thing. i'm being exposed to so many different songs, whether through KZbin or a streaming service, that it's easier to become attracted to a sound rather than stick to a consistent artist and dive into their work. there are apps like shazam that make it easier to find a song you like on the spot when strolling through the mall. this leads me to remember a discussion around one tiktoker who had very few fans waiting in line to see her at a convention. it's difficult to build up a fanbase when audiences are watching short after short, where they're exposed to so many creators and there's no emotional connection. our attention span is impaired from the constant binging as well. these factors (exposure to an excessive amount of content which leads to our shortening attention spans and a lack of emotional connection to specific artists) give less incentive to listen and really appreciate a song, much less a full-length album. i, myself, am learning to build the patience to sit down and listen to an entire album because it doesn't have the same instant gratification as listening to a song that scratches an itch. since the topic of your video is centered around video games, i think this problem concerns gen alpha the most. the things you pointed out about kids wanting to be more like gamers were spot on when it comes to my baby cousin. his dream is to become a youtuber and he already has a video up of him playing roblox XD :-: this discussion could be tied with electronic usage in general. look into a restaurant and you can bet your booty there's an ipad kid. i myself am learning to heal from the affects of unsupervised internet usage, but these kids are exposed at a much younger age. their attention spans are already being messed with at earlier developmental stages and that could affect their ability to sit down and really listen to music. at the very least, i hope that those of the younger generation who play games can be exposed to ones with beautiful sounds that intrigue their ear. that's one way that can lead them to appreciate music, like it did for me.

[@Johnny_Piras]

You nailed it Rick. I remember the whole mindset was different back in our day... as soon as one of my favourite bands would release a new album we would all sit on the floor of mine or some buddys bedroom on bean bags, get the old lava lamps on and zone out, and just absorb the whole album and listen to it fully.. no distractions like cellphones/social media. listening to music with your eyes closed, and feeling it 100%, everythings too quick now, and has to be in some kind of 'tiktok' format to appease attention spans of the later generations that have somewhat diminished.

[@TheDylicious77]

Hi Rick! Love the channel - but I did want to say: I’ve been a music teacher for almost 10 years now, and in the recent years, I do find that my students will come in excited to play music they heard in games. Some games have really amazing soundtracks/composers - and it’s nice to see kids come in wanting to play music by Toby Fox or Nobuo Uematsu, which absolutely breaks the monotony of pop music. Anyways, just figured I’d chime in as someone whose seen games bring kids to music. All the best!

[@TheEternalElir]

Japanese composers go all out when making music for anime, same for games. And the music is an obvious make or break factor for the overall experience. And everyone knows that. The music is usually what stays with us, takes us back when hearing it again at a later stage.

[@MiketheNerdRanger]

Music from Japanese media is what got me into music orchestration; I *HAD* to know how they were doing it

[@God-yb2cg]

Yeah, kinda like how ZUN is one of my favorite composers even though I don't play Touhou.

[@bcj842]

Koji Kondo is almost singlehandedly responsible for getting a lot of kids into jazz fusion.

[@drnoahpepper]

Being from Gen Z myself I would say that just about everyone my age loves music but I’m thinking of two main differences in the modern era that have made our experience with it totally different. 1. Rock is less popular and Rap is the preeminent genre. If kids today are actually interested in learning “to play” music, most of them would rather do it at home with their computer and make beats/rap than pick up an instrument, which leads to 2. The biggest rock bands have priced out their audiences at live shows; there’s a famous clip of Kurt Cobain gasping at the fact that Madonna charged $50 for some of her tickets in the early 90’s… most kids today have been to literally 0 rock concerts in their entire life, because the biggest festivals and venues have priced out a lot of people. Without that experience of a live show they have no inspiration driving them to be on that stage one day. Funnily enough to your point about video games, I think the video game “Guitar Hero,” especially the 3rd one with Slash on the cover, did a lot to reinvigorate interest in the guitar. Almost everyone my age has played that game and a lot of people I know (including myself) would say it influenced them into learning the guitar and most of all buying into the mythology that is Rock. It would be interesting for you to do a video about that game and its soundtrack in particular because I think its been a massive influence on Genz

[@donmon5361]

gen z lol

[@drnoahpepper]

@@donmon5361 Can’t help the year I was born in. Lol

[@sethcaine3659]

@@drnoahpepper sure you can

[@mariah1676]

I’m Gen z and I think part of the solution is going to hear local bands. Maybe I’m speaking from a place of privilege because the places I’ve lived in have incredible and dense local music scenes even when the towns were smaller. I’ve been to all sorts of houses and small venues that have some of the best music I’ve ever heard. The thing is though, I only ever learned about local music scenes after meeting my partner who is an avant-garde jazz musician. But people don’t have to go to those huge festivals to hear incredible music.

[@trukxelf]

Yep; punk scene is still cheap

[@jimiwills6226]

I’m so late to this conversation, and I’ll try to keep it short… I hear you Rick!!! So much said is right on point… but… I’m an optimist! As a boomer myself, I can’t predict how music moves forward in the next 20, 50.. 100 years, but as a teacher, nothing works better in my classroom than music. I teach Spanish using my guitar in an elementary school. Over the 14 years that I’ve been teaching in my school, my principal has purchased me a small arsenal of guitars to teach interested students to play… during their recess and lunch breaks!!! Yes.. students give up their recess to come to my classroom and learn guitar!!! It’s beautiful!!! I’ll leave it at that. I believe that kids will always love music.. albeit a little differently than each previous generation 😆

[@jonchappellnow]

Great topic. As a middle school teacher and college professor, I think the issue is that appreciating music requires being actively engaged with the material -- aka "listening" (as opposed to simply "hearing"). Music lovers actively pay attention and think about what they are listeing to in order and engage in and appreciate the artist's creative choices. It's the same with reading. For non-readers, reading requires too much effort. But people who love reading and love music are actively engaged with and emotionally invested in the material.

[@Doodle1678]

Except video game music That’s the one thing we do And it’s also where all the good music is now for the most part compared to what newer songs come out that aren’t

[@D-Fens_1632]

You saying I can't hear Jimi cause I'm white? Gonna say I can't dunk next?

[@joshwolfsohn3344]

Found this really interesting. I teach kids guitar for a living and have definitely noticed a decline in general passion for music listening (although playing music seems more popular than ever). Being early Gen Z myself, I don't see and difference between my relationship with games as a kid and theirs.The main difference I see is the way that music is consumed now. I caught the tail end of CDs and iTunes, when you still had to know who it was you were listening to and the concept of 'owning' a music collection was still there. Your music collection was a way that you projected identity. I ask every student now who they like to listen to and only around 10% have an answer, having only really listened to playlists on streaming services and never checked the artist names. I think the fact that the concept of 'owning' music is no longer relevant to streaming means that kids don't project identity with music listening anymore.

[@TinaReggie]

That’s so sad

[@mequint2000]

I don't think this is just a problem with music but with the arts in general. What are some defining book or movies for these generations? And for the long running series, have they not gotten stale?

[@yuyiya]

You're _right_ !!! And so much of Rick's rant was really about how we form and show off our identity to others. (Or hide it from them, maybe, for some.) So how *do* those under 25 now go about creating their identities, and how do they badge them? Sociologists need to tune in to this conversation; perhaps they have some further insights. FWIW, I disposed of most of my recorded music collection years ago, since I spend way more time making music than listening to it. But I've kept all the scores I ever had, to create *live* music with.

[@RyTrapp0]

@@mequint2000 We're just setting into the age of 'fast food art' - it's simple, heavy handed but bland, with a short shelf life, meant to be consumed immediately, quickly It's just Spotify/Twitch/Netflix instead of McDonald's/Burger King/Wendy's

[@tubasaur]

To me it's heartening that the OP thinks playing music is more popular than ever. The idea that kids are identifying themselves by their own work rather than someone else's seems the proper way for things to be moving.

[@kokovec1200]

I’m a year late to this topic but I believe it’s more of a Gen-Z male phenomenon. I asked my 26 year old nephew what he likes to listen to and he struggled to answer. My niece said Taylor Swift, Beyoncé. and K-Pop. Music went from glam rock to glam pop. The substance and male appeal is gone. Boys spend time on video games but girls are social creatures and will take time out of their day to be part of the social scene. That might be a reason why there’s no male version of Taylor Swift.

[@va941]

Games and music dont exclude eachother. I play games, create and listen to music, its all good.

[@kennethnick3213]

I'm a gen z kid and super into music. Growing up i didn't get to have all the phones and internet until i was in like 11th or 12th grade because we were poor. Not dirt poor, but poor. My dad is a huge music collector so i had access to all his cds growing up and about 4th-5th grade is when i started to dig through his cds and read the little pamphlets in the cd cases. He had literally most of the greats from 50s-90s in multiple genres. 7th grade i did a huge school project where i made an encyclopedia of "music" and every Letter in the alphabet there was a band/musician and a mini biography of the band/musician that i had typed up. That was around the time when i started teaching myself guitar. I had no guitar teacher (never had a teacher, but my dad knew 3 chords and barely knew how to play.) My dad didn't really have any blues or jazz music. I knew about blues but I didn't really hear any cuz my dad didn't have it in his cds, that i knew of at the time, or anyone i was friend's with did. When we got internet that's when i got into blues and my mind was completely blown away by big bill Broonzy, lightning hopkins, rev gary davis, and john lee hooker. Then i found out about robert johnson. I went into my dad's cds and he actually had the robert johnson cd that's brown and a drawing of robert sitting in a chair on the front. And then i found a compilation album with 3 cds of a lot of the blues greats from the 40s- 50s and i played it so much, even when i had youtube. I have the compilation cd still to this day. So shortly after i "discovered" blues i began researching blues and seeking out new blues musicians, and still do. Anyway the point of that story is i probably wouldn't hold music so dear to me if i never had that experience of seeking and discovering music; that whole adventure hooked me. No one forced me or told me what music to listen to, no device stuck me to an algorithm where i would get the same genre of music and narrowed my "lens." I just did it myself and really listened to what i was finding and it became a personal relationship. I think if i had access to internet and smart phones and unlimited music through my phone when i was young that i would NOT have this deep of a relationship with music as i do. I do not blame video games for the level of a kid's interest or taste in music, but the way kids discover music. And for that i am grateful a small part of my life i got to experience life without all the devices and internet when i was younger because i truly believe that is one of the reasons why i am different than most of my peers. Thank you for reading this if you have. Edit: thank you people! I Didn't realize this would get this many likes, but since I have people's attention; if any old school blues type people are out there you could check out my stuff I have uploaded and /or subscribe to me if you want to support a huge blues fanatic (I will subscribe back and even talk with anyone about blues/rock if they want to) , it would really make me happy and motivate me to upload more. Keep the blues alive ✌️

[@ShEDDiNgmYSkiN]

You're definitely one of a kind!

[@davidlamb7524]

Brilliant ! And so glad you found the blues 😊

[@sg84eva]

❤

[@stuart6478]

Rick is reaching

[@thespeculativemusician]

@@stuart6478 100%, The point about gaming I think is just VERY WRONG, many musicians (me included) are musicians because of games like Zelda (Ocarina of Time in my case), also talking about Mario Kart, the last one from the Nintendo Switch is a GREAT introduction to jazz music for Gen Z kids, and I’m SURPRISED that Rick Beato PLAYED that game being a jazz musician himself and… didn’t listen to the music? What?

[@SamIAm-kz4hg]

Here's my take on this. I was a music teacher for 31 years. With the advent of iPods and phones I found that my students were always plugged in. Music became background for OTHER things they were doing. Walking to school, doing homework, or just sitting by themselves. And so they don't really actively listen. Later in my career whenever I put on music for them to listen to, they would zone out or start talking. It became a bit of a nuisance, so I cut down on the things we listened to in class. And because music is always available, it becomes disposable as well. Gone are the days of making a trip downtown to a record store to get that one record you really want. Always having access to music and using it as background noise cheapens music.

[@SanguineThor]

yknow, this is actually the most accurate take I think. I had ipods in highschool, and I sometimes had so much to choose it was hard to even choose. So I would hit shuffle, nowadays I use youtube music mix. But the technology inherent generation might have more trouble finding unique stuff. Mainstream stuff will be the path of least resistance.

[@prorenzo]

I fully agree!

[@dooplisskooper]

I think this is it. Smartphones and music streaming services created an era where music is almost never listened to for its own sake. It's background noise while gaming, studying, walking, exercising, etc. The idea of sitting down, putting on an album, and giving it your full attention is almost unheard of now

[@wazzlopiok240]

I would pair this with the threshold for being “talented” is way too high now. We are only exposed to flawless performances, so when we can’t be flawless ourselves it’s discouraging.

[@ryan-heath]

This 👆

[@HoldYourGraceUnderPower]

Being a member of the generation, I have always loved music. I was originally brought up with ELO, of which I love. I soon became I die hard Rush fan, and Rush really opened my view to music as I started to listen to Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Nirvana, The Who, The Kinks, Genesis, King Crimson, Blue Oyster Cult, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Blur and Oasis. Recently, I started playing guitar, of which I love, and that arguably had a larger impact than Rush had, as I am now infatuated with the whole metal scene as I started with Metallica, then it bursted into Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Slayer, Korn, Green Day, Sepultura, SOAD, and now especially Pantera and Slipknot. At least for me, music is very important to me. I have been a guitarist for around half a year and I have learned to play Brain Damage, American Idiot, Passage to Bangkok, and others. Playing an instrument really pushed me into more music and makes me appreciate it more. Also, I now notice that I really have one friend who knows about music, who is my best friend, as we talk about what if Dimebag was in Megadeth and others, but, everyone else I know doesn’t have much of a clue with music.

[@MarArraes]

Um vídeo muitíssimo importante. Congratulações Rick! 👍🏻

[@henatatorplays]

There are kids that are very much into music, going to shows, buying and listening to records, etc. I include myself in that group. There are, equally, so many kids I know who don't really care about the music they listen to, or just listen to their dad's favorite old rock music. A lot of that stuff is good, but it doesn't get kids interested in all the cool music that's happening underground today because there's less of a pipeline from mainstream stuff to more interesting music.

[@BenPotts]

I'm 23, born in late 1999, i grew up with my mother (single mum), born in 1969, who really had great taste, i listened to alot of alternative rock, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, nirvana, jamiroquai, the smiths, curiosity killed the cat, some oasis, etc, but on the weekends i'd spend time with my grandparents (both born 1942) and they'd play me buddy holly, clarence ”frogman” henry, elvis, the beatles, the kinks, abba, queen, all the hits from their youth. That combination of the classic roots of rock, together with the then still pretty "modern" 2003-2007 sounding rock, as well as the odd new thing that'd come out, razorlight, kaiser cheifs, really set me up to have a great appreciation and intuitive feel for music. When i was about 9 i really got into hip hop and rap, and in my early teens i REALLY get into house music and electronic dance music, even started producing my own stuff. I am a Gen Zer (i think), and i just couldn't live without music. There's a song for every possible emotion, and no two songs make me feel the same.

[@Brandas7]

Hello Rick! I am a Millennial, 1992, but I also grew up with video games since I was 3 years old, basically. I am also a musician, I currently play pirate metal with my band The Anchors. My style of songwriting is influenced by video game music so much that we decided to open our gigs with the opening track of Banjo-Kazooie for Nintendo64. I basically discovered music THROUGH videogames, without them I wouldn't have been so obsessed with it, and the passion grew for both games and music. Even now I find myself alternating gaming sessions and writing ones. It might be just a case, but I think that with the right motivation even a kid who's absolutely obsessed with video games can grow a real interest for music too

[@HughAllison]

As a musician I was talking with a pro football player one time. He said, “you know, all atheletes want to be musicians and all musicians want to be athletes”. I said, “l never wanted to be an athlete”. You are dead on.

[@jjs333]

As someone who is part of Gen Z I think a big part of is what you mentioned, physical copies. I have tons of albums and songs on Apple Music but no real connection with them other than them being a “moment in time”. It’s hard to make a connection and wanna learn music that you have no obligation to listen to. I think it also is part of why songs and albums are so short nowadays - if you can’t hook someone within 30 seconds, you’re done. Buying an album used to be a commitment.

[@lpschaf8943]

That's why I buy vinyl.

[@BeeWhistler]

Sort of… back in the 80s I bought the soundtrack to Pretty in Pink, just like most of the other 8th grade girls, and I listened to the whole tape because I paid for it and we didn’t have loads of money. I figured you bought it so you use it, so I listened to all of it. I mentioned the B side to some girls at school and they awkwardly mumbled they’d just listened to side A, where the radio hits were, and then just ran it back again. Shame, they were missing out on some big stuff.

[@ICoDaI]

I wonder if it's an attention span thing, the average song used to be about 4 minutes long... that's like 4-8 tik tok videos.

[@Mtnflying]

Well thought out and I have to agree.

[@aperfecttool257]

With all due respect, HARD DISAGREE. The reason is exposure. Just plain and simple. The vast majority of the songs millennial grew up with were release by major labels and curated through the radio. I was born in 1990, I have quite a bit of cd's that I have almost no connection to. It's more just the fact that the barriers to release a song are so easy today that music as a whole purges much faster than ever before. I'm sorry, but this reminds me my me and friends in highschool when we had the though at the age of 15-18 that no one in our generalities cats about music and CRUNK was running everything (it wasn't). Put it this way, there are articles bitching about switching to cd's for similar reasons.

[@phoenixanton]

As a (late) gen z kid myself I completely agree with you. Like, I mean I myself am _totally_ obsessed with music. It's like the fabric my whole day is made of. But when I want to share my love for music, none of the others care about it. Like, once I had to play guitar and sing in my music class. And I really wanted to do it because I like it. But once I got out my guitar and plugged it in my classmates just looked awkwardly at me and asked why I'd put so much effort in music. _It's just music_ they told me, _stop caring so much about it._ and i think that's quite frustrating and sad. But still, I've got friends who are as engaged in terms of music as I am (not at school but in the choir). That saved my music centered life, I guess.

[@crouchjump5787]

Culture changes , there will always be millions of people thinking like you.

[@steveneardley7541]

I am an old guy, and I remember when I was in college, and my friends told me that I was "thinking too much." I was stoned one day, and realized that I just AM an intellectual, and enjoy thinking. So fuck em all. Always pursue your passions. I have taught high school, and am saddened by how unengaged my students were--in anything--sports, music, sex, culture, ideas, other people. They played video games. That seemed to be life for them, and to me it's such a total waste of your time here on earth.

[@Texas808]

Don’t worry about them, at that age people think it’s “lame” to try and care about stuff, when they really have no passion of their own. Actually think about that, you’re considered “not cool” because you have a passion. They’ll grow up though, don’t worry

[@jackz0_o385]

Yeah I relate to this a ton

[@dudeabides1532]

When you put effort into something and get good at it people will respect that. If your peers don’t get it, that’s their loss. I wish you could have been in school in my generation. When I would break out the guitar and play in front of my peers they treated me like some kind of hero. Everyone paid attention because playing guitar was “cool”. I hope you get to experience that someday.

[@Davotunes]

Great topic! My thoughts on that is that we replace our attention for music to our cellphones (ig, fb, YT, TikTok, X). All these things are designed to steal your attention, even more than video games…. Video games have been here since the 90’ s with all the elements this legend is talking about. I believe what changed is the availability for quick entertainment (videos like these are an example short and sweet).

[@Ty-mu7gl]

Very interesting point and video! Ties in nicely with our growing tendency to listen to music for even the smallest of tasks. I guess as pop music becomes more formulaic and viral we just become oblivious to it because we're not actually listening-we're using it as background noise. I was born in 2002 and didn't have access to the internet till 15. Never had an Xbox or a Nintendo, let alone videogames on a phone of my own. That translated into me sucking at every single videogame to ever exist, and into me having more traditional hobbies. I got my first guitar at 11 but didn't start playing till around 14, and it was a similar timeline for piano, singing, and songwriting. It all just kind of exploded at that age, which, coincidentally enough, is when I started using the internet at home. I made it a point to get some foundation at a music conservatory, and to always try and learn a piece by ear rather than jumping into the tutorial. I now use my phone every day like everyone else, but it still fades into the background when I'm playing or practicing. So I guess it all depends on what you're fed growing up. I have a 6-year-old cousin who can't sit at the table without watching KZbin. So of course, if you can't even do that, you're not gonna be able to fiddle and mess with any artistic discipline that takes time to pay off

[@andrewdifilippo9164]

I think Gen Z cares about music, but technology has fundamentally changed their relationship to it. Streaming has exploded the amount of music available, and a Spotify subscription costs less than a CD did when I grew up. Previous generations had to spend money on an album. And because you couldn't buy every album, the ones you chose to purchase became not only a reflection of your personal taste but part of your identity. The internet has blown that up. In previous generations younger p may have been into punk, or rock, or hip hop, or electronica, or any other number of generes, I think most kids now listen to a wider variety of music than ever before. And the (nearly)endless playlists on streaming services means you can listen to hours and hours of music without necessarly connecting to an artist or album in the way older generations may have (I think in some ways that explains the 'background music' that you talk about).

[@CatIsBack25]

Spotify pays less than a penny, ggo to hell

[@hansmahr8627]

Yeah, it's such an odd take. Music is still a big deal for kids and teenagers, they just don't buy albums as much because there are cheaper alternatives. I grew up in the 90s and I spent a lot of money on CDs back then but nowadays I use streaming services. It doesn't have an effect on my appreciation for music, in fact it has broadened my taste.

[@jimit.4220]

​@@CatIsBack25 That's cuz of the record labels not the service itself

[@Jaggedknife11]

i do think its fair to say there was some extra "mystique" around music and musicians for teenagers in the past when there were less things to do overall as a kid and these musicians felt further away.

[@conchobar]

"More choices but less significance." Is how I describe the relationship of Music to Gen Z'ers.

[@Isaac-fc1it]

Real gamers appreciate the music in their games. From games like bloodborne or Zelda where you get beautiful classical instruments compositions based on styles from all over the world, to Doom’s death metal. It’s one of the major aspects you can get from a game, the music.

[@devilsoffspring5519]

Doom Eternal has some good axe licks in it :)

[@LeonardoGarcia-qt6lf]

JRPGs have some of the best tracks ever. Tremendously emotional, intrincate, well-compossed and simply beautiful. Composers such as Nobuo Uematsu, Yasunori Mitsuda and Noriyuki Asakura have always been a great influence for me as a guitar player.

[@devilsoffspring5519]

@@LeonardoGarcia-qt6lf Speaking of GREAT music in video games, did you ever play Silpheed? The game where you flew a little fighter around and blasted the aliens? That game had the best damn soundtrack ever. It even sounded like cheese but the songs were GREAT!

[@farenvyld]

That's great and all but DOOM is not death metal

[@simonp9471]

​@@LeonardoGarcia-qt6lf We need Rick to listen to Castlevania - Symphony of the Night Soundtrack! Or maybe Chrono Cross. His musical insights would be so good, and I think he might even like a few songs 😅

[@fieldofweeds]

You’re genuine. That’s what strikes me. I’ve enjoyed listening to you for a long time. You have personality. The same for music. There’s a lot of great music out there, but it’s not really mainstream. I think it’s hard for people to parse.

[@oscarcharliezulu]

My 16 an 19 year olds love music, from theatrical, old school rock and metal, pop, disco, and we go to concerts. They have so much great music to listen to.

[@dylbanyeah]

I am a part of Gen Z, born in late 2003. I, along with all of my friends, love music. Video games are definitely something they enjoy as well but the soundtrack is almost always one of our favorite parts of it. I don't play as many video games as I used too, I tend to watch KZbin and listen to my favorite bands. But when I do play them, I am almost always listening for the music; it is honestly one of the only reasons I would play a game now. One of my friends and I also have been learning guitar for a while now. I don't know exactly how other people in my generation might feel but for all of the people I know, music is very important.

[@xxsusmasterxx5491]

Same aswell! I do the same thing for Zelda games. Because of Zelda, i learnt flamenco on classical acoustic guitar!

[@cameronleblanc2625]

Exactly. I find it insulting that people actually think like this about our generation. It makes us look bad. Almost everyone i know, couldnt go a day without music. I don't know where this idea that gen z does'nt listen to music came from but its dead wrong. Everyone listens to music, old and young. God damn fuckin boomers man.

[@cakeyseeks124]

@@xxsusmasterxx5491 Holy heck you too?! Yeah! I learnt piano because of Zelda :D it has such a nice soundtrack

[@TheReillyDiefenbach]

@@cameronleblanc2625 Your generation has to own your musical illiteracy before it will get any better. Autotune this!

[@thecrackedsky]

That’s a crazy claim to say that music isn’t an integral part of music. Did he listen to the music in Mario kart? Some of it is incredible.

[@zacharycastaldi1116]

I’m 29, I have memories buying cds, laying on my bed and listening to whole albums front to back with a good stereo system. Unfortunately, the last time I did this I was probably 14-15years old. Once music became more convenient to access via iPhones and streaming services, it became too convenient to appreciate on such a deep level. I think when you purchased a physical recording, it was a much more visceral experience because that item was your possession, you felt a connection to it. On the one hand, I love how music has become so convenient that I can listen to Mozart one second, and Smashing Pumpkins the next, but I do feel like something extra was lost in this modern transition.

[@yunogasai1338]

Thankfully there are still cds and vinyl coming out. There are still so many artists discographies I want in my collection. I'm currently collecting linkin park, the birthday massacre, Britney spears, and Starset. I might get 8 Graves current EP release. Hopefully I can find some of their older stuff too same with mother mother.

[@scndsky]

You really had to save up money to listen to music. You had to get out of your house to the city and go back home. And then you only had the 10 songs of that album.

[@oo_rahbel_oo]

well said

[@roderickgful]

Another aspect of convenient streaming is data loss/compression. KZbin, Spotify’s , etc music is basically an mp3 file so the original mastered version becomes an audiophiles nightmare. Tidal streaming does offer “lossless audio” but requires additional gear to “unfold” the master file. Their library is fairly extensive, not as much as the others yet but closing in. To put headphones on and get lost in a great LP like “Darkside of the Moon”, “Aja” or “Moontan”, etc, requires the Tidal app or an old school setup.

[@visionop8]

Well said

[@humanthenarrator]

I think entertainment has simply become wider. There used to be just things like storytelling, then came books, concerts, for Rick's generation came music records, for Gen Z (including me) comes videogames, the Internet. Everything is still there, but each type of entertainment doesn't have as much room anymore to exist. Although obviously some are particularly easy to catch on to

[@unfamiliarenvironments]

When I was young listening to music alone it’s almost like I couldn’t stop imagining elaborately imaginative music videos, responding really intimately to the music. Just realized I haven’t done this as a response to music in a very, very long time. Phones, games and KZbin instant gratification for almost no effort I think is affecting all ages even

[@sebisman]

So this is what I think. When it comes to music, back in the day everyone wanted to play the guitar, because it looked cool, because the lead guitarrist could steal the atentiton, because you could bring the guitar to the party and jam and be the center. The guitar gave you that status. I noticed that kids now focus on beat making. Urban music now has the place rock music had some years ago. Is now focused on production and sound making, not so much on music theory and scales but rather finding interesting sounds and textures. Neither is better than the other, but the later is novelty, and kids now want to produce beats or rap because it will get them the attention or status, just like the guitar used to back in the day. When it comes to music, I think the motivation is the same, the attitude, the status, but the medium has changed. I think is very interesting.

[@freakystyley4000]

Um, no, one is demonstrably better than the other.

[@PM9Video]

I think the rise of urban music is a lot to do with ownership and immediacy. There’s a need to get your identity onto some kind of online cultural marketplace, right now, today. So, musicality, practice, development of understanding and crafted skills are unimportant, you need something right now. Sure, they’d be nice, but, if we own this product, then it is ours and we can rate it against what it means to us alone. We now have a voice, and it is our own in every way. In our group, we are the elite, and everyone else is irrelevant. For an outsider looking in performing a comparison between well crafted material created by professionals with years of experience for a market with different needs, you are going to see a discrepancy. But competing in wider markets was never the objective. We accept comparatively lower technical and craft standards with own our work, but infuse it with raw, honest, grounding emotion in its place. It may have a tiny audience in comparison (usually local people who are connected by community to the producers), but it gives everyone a sense of unity, control, and purpose.

[@argusfleibeit1165]

Digitization is the main culprit. I think when records got small, and home recording got big, and everybody had a struggling local alternative band, the music world became glutted. Put out your own CD, nobody cares. Too much mediocre competition and few real geniuses. Rock stars were a dime a dozen, only had one big album, too many names and not enough fame. Fortunes were still being made, but only because the entire world could now download your song even if you were very niche. There is just too much media of all kinds, not subject to "gatekeeping", like getting signed to a major label, or writing for a big magazine or book publisher. We can all be artists, but now the audience cares very little. It was so much more magical and aspirational when fame was reserved for the few who got picked. Much less fair, maybe. Wanting a music career now is a lot of slogging around for years in a van, forget the jet planes and the tour busses. The kids sense it and say, "Why bother?"

[@johnlee750]

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head here. And I absolutely agree with you, neither is “better” than the other. They are completely different worlds. I actually would say (as a guitarist myself) that texture is a more complex playing ground than harmony. Harmony has literally thousands of years of exploration and no matter how cool of a combination of notes or chords you come up with, someone has probably already done it. Where as texture, especially with digital manipulation, is rife for exploration and creation.

[@CT-rv2gn]

@@freakystyley4000 that’s pretty subjective though

[@RC32Smiths01]

Mario Kart 8 has some of the classiest music I've ever heard in video games. As a Jazz enthusiast and musician in that style, I absolutely adore its ost. As someone who plays both music and video games, I've developed an ear for how music is composed and used in all kinds of games, and it's certainly a discovery to be had.

[@RSpracticalshooting]

It's just wildly hilarious that Mario Kart has such an incredible OST.

[@lpschaf8943]

Yeah. Because those people actually learned something and are talented.

[@lpschaf8943]

@@RSpracticalshooting But not rare. Good quality games often have good music.

[@ICoDaI]

I'm big on mega man music and some Mario games have really catchy music

[@JR-io6bi]

Nintendo as a whole hires some of the greatest musicians/composers. especially during the 90’s

[@rocketmanstudio]

Let me just say Rick you started a great post I think I’m a little late to the dance but I truly truly enjoy reading so many of the young people posting on here and commenting it really open my eyes as retired musician. My 29 year old daughter is one of the fortunate ones that got dragged to every studio session that I was a part of when my wife was busy in California and Texas. So she’s got to be a part of a lot of old war stories and come up with her own war stories of being in Studios with me like doing her homework/ sleeping till 4am, her snoring during commercial stems, and meeting hundreds of musicians so it made her insight in music incredible. I wish a lot of these young people could experience what she’s experienced being in those sessions… She listens to everything from soundtracks to reel‘s/ shorts…thx for the video…

[@QWRTkeyboard]

When I was little I listened to music generally from radio. I don't remember well but I don't think used my spotify very much. Radio musics were ok that time but then it got worse. It felt like all songs were using the same structure. I stopped listening music for a while. Until like 2-3 years earlier I started listening to music again and I love it. I want to be a musician now.

[@TheAdam159]

Gaming actually enhanced my interest in music. Licensed music soundtracks in games like GTA exposed me to a lot of great bands I wouldn't have heard otherwise

[@megaMagaManX8]

So true. GTA 5 has an amazing sound track. I got really into steady beat electronic music from games like katana zero and fury. Dark souls also really got me to love orchestral music so much more

[@latinpercussionlover6598]

Gta, saints row 2 and the cuphead soundtrack

[@Viepeo22]

Yeah, same here. GTA San Andreas was one of my biggest sources for the music I know and love today

[@Alexandre-dz9ij]

FIFA helped me to love indie rock

[@aelahn]

I've noticed a lot of young, really young teens are getting into music because of highly narrative-based (mostly indie) games like Undertale...so... to add, yes, I'm 27 and I got into a lot of different songs because of games like GTA and Need for Speed series, and you guys gave a lot of other examples from the 2000s but there were the 90s too, where we got into metal from Doom, and in my case even into country because of some western game (Outlaws from LucasArts). Then I'd say yes, gaming actually got it. Anyway, his point was most young gamers are not going to pay attention because competitive gaming is all about well...competitviness, and not about art. And besides dumbed down shooters like COD, those are all the popular games. To counter it though, we can see League of Legends always collab with musicians and release highly appreciated content based in music... so, the discussion goes on.

[@quimquim89]

In my humble opinion as a music lover who grew up playing video games, music doesn't appeal to kids because mainstream music today lacks melody. It may be fun to dance too, but isn't enough to really spark the love for music. The music industry needs to focus more on the art and less on the industry. Every song sounds the same, nowadays

[@mitahapsari4960]

Yea it’s mainly sound designs nowadays rather than melodic themes that functionally illustrate the game scenes. I think anyone can pay attention on 90s Squaresoft’s music, which were iconic for having strong themes and melody since early-mid FFs series ( also Chrono Cross and Trigger) but I can say the music were getting less significant since Crisis Core (2007) and I can’t seem to get any newer games’s song to stick in my ear beyond that. IMO

[@onthegroundsoundotgs5143]

The problem is not so much that there is no good music being made. There is awesome music out there. It is a discovery issue. Most artists spend a lot of time on creating music, but not on building a relationship with their fans. Gamers are great at this.

[@rize7577]

I’m my opinion today’s music is similar to candy, it’s designed to be addictive and pumped with sugar but that will never give anyone any interest in being a chef.

[@aryadaze]

Independent artists are creating magic

[@brainiac31K]

Agreed! I hear the equivalent of Top 40 today and can’t find anything “catchy.” Overemphasis on producers has plagued the industry to where the latest thing doesn’t really have anything musical in it.

[@dorcasbass5585]

As a now retired art lecturer I also see that It's exactly the same with the visual arts, once great artists & real talents are long forgotten and dumbed down to cartoon graphics, it's almost to my perception, deliberate!

[@DanielBrandl]

i agree with your observation. But I would like to include the idea of Marshall Mc Luhan "The Medium is the message". The media differ. Music and video games. I would argue, that video games as a medium offer more "escapeism". It's very easy to flee from the struggles of the world with games (have done it myself, being a "millenial"). topics like climate change, crisis of capitalism etc etc are very real for young people and its easier to flee from these than to takle them. Also: Young people are often denied the chance to really have an impact on these topics. So... I love music as well. I am a musician. What to do? 1. Give young people an agency. 2. get better at "Vermittlung" (a german word meaning teaching, but also introduction) of culture. In my region in germany there is a program for young kids in school, where every child is introduced to music and everyone gets an instrument. And the opportunity to play in an orchestra. Will they all be pros? No. Will they all be amateur musicians? No. But sometime in their lives, someone opened the door to the joy of music. And that's, what you call good "Vermittlung" :D

[@d.d.7720]

I'm a millennial, and I got into music because of videogames, especially during the PS2 era. And my little sister, she's a Zoomer, 16 years younger than me, she got into music because of anime. Music is everywhere, and people from all times have had different level of interest on it.

[@ab8817]

the cultural zeitgeist of "pop music" is more of what rick is talking about. that is much different than being into anime and video game OSTs

[@Metamerist625]

Yeah I really loved Tracker Music from games like Unreal Tournament and Command and Conquer back in the day, there were loads of 90s and 00s games with killer soundtracks. I dont understand Ricks argument that younger kids "only" grew up with the internet... really ONLY the vastest and deepest pool of collective knowledge and experience that has ever existed ONLY that thing. As for the whole argument that younger kids "dont go out and do xyz" well the boomers created the world these kids grow up in so.........

[@DaleKamp]

1987 millennial, and music didn't really click with me growing up. I did like videogames, and RPG videogames like Final Fantasy really got me into music composition -- then I learned various instruments and got into rock finally as a teenager. I know I'm not the only one.

[@john005_]

I got into music via rap, and metal but Anime music pushed me to love music more. I then started to listen to japanese traditional music which brought me back to western classical/baroque etc. I love new wave a lot these days. I am a millenial. My older cousin used to make VHS tapes of video clips,my cousin is a Generation X. This did help my music education somehow.

[@minhuang8848]

@@ab8817 Much different in that it is infinitely better than it was twenty or so years ago. Pop Music always was and still is listening to three different song on repeat until you get a new set of songs blasted on the radio. Every singular aspect of music reception has improved, literacy has increased across the board. Rick's video is pretty much entirely nonsensical.

[@taxevasion7553]

For me it was a videogames that got me into music. I loved a game called little big planet when I was younger, the point of the game was to make your own levels and share them with other players. It allowed you not just to make the level but the music through a simple little built in music sequencer. That videogame was what got me really into making my own music and what really gave me a passion for it. It also gave me a lot more respect for videogame composers who are in my opinion the most underated music makers in the industry. But yeah more kids need to listen to more music, in fact I think everyone should have a bit more music in their lives

[@bigindiegiant]

Spot on Rick, I feel your pain. Yet some of the Indie music/songwriting coming through to our station, is really awesome and leaves me with hope 🤞

[@saejgnjan]

im a gen z who grew up with music from the 60s-80s because of my dad and his music obsession. it took me a while to go back and rediscover the music i listened to as a child because i had all these phases a few years back with different genres but now im back to my childhood music and i DEFINITELY care, music is all i think (and sometimes talk) about. hard to find people who are the same though and this video makes a lot of sense.

[@bowenflob8036]

Here's an alternative angle: you didn't register the music whilst playing the game because your brain was fully engaged in just trying to play it (basically because you were no good at it), the music is able to be appreciated once the game isn't as challenging. I've always loved the music aspect of video games.

[@ferox965]

That's basically what he said.

[@bowenflob8036]

@@ferox965 What I heard from the video is that he thinks people don't listen to the music in games because they're 'too addictive' (gameplay-wise), leaving no space for listening to the soundtrack. My point is that people do listen to the music. In fact in some classic games it's one of the main draws to the games. We have whole concerts now dedicated to the music from games. So I don't agree with his statement. It might be true if you're struggling to play Mario Kart though :P

[@cloodstroof7786]

@@bowenflob8036 For people who grew up playing games and still have it as a primary hobby, listening to the music while playing something like Mario Kart is probably far easier than it would be for Rick. Mario Kart is a pretty simple arcade game, and when I play it I usually have just as much if not more attention being given to the music since I can more or less play the game on autopilot. For something like Dark Souls its different (despite it having some great music) since its far more challenging and actually needs my attention. I have a feeling that he also doesn't realise theres many, many games out there that are nothing like the multiplayer games which evolved from the arcade games he played in the past. Many of them are artistic pieces just like a movie, book, or song are and intentionally have moments where everything else is dialled back in order for you to pay attention to the music and let it set the mood. Games like Hollow Knight, Death Stranding, the Persona series (and other atlus games like Catherine), Final Fantasy, and so much more is filled with moments that are memorable because they had you just listening to the music and take it all in.

[@bowenflob8036]

@@cloodstroof7786 agree completely

[@petersnyder3295]

I have a friend who has written music for several video games. It's not like writing an advertising jingle. A lot of work writing a lot of music. I have no idea what impact it has on the players, though.

[@DrCatterBox]

As a clinical psychologist, I completely feel that this is the number one reason (well, maybe after social media), kids and teenagers today feel so isolated; feel so disconnected from their peers; and feel that they have all these emotions that “nobody cares about.” It’s like John Cusack asks in the movie High Fidelity: “Did I listen to pop music bc I was miserable? Or was I miserable bc I listened to pop music?” My point being that music is an amazing tool that helps us work out what we’re feeling, how we’re feeling it, and most importantly, how we can express it. Music provides an outlet, a message that you’re not the only person who’s ever felt this way, or been in this situation, or has experienced the highs and the lows. Music is one of the best therapeutic tools there is. Music lets you experience passion, purpose, confidence, exhilaration, and pain. Sometimes all at the same time. Music makes you feel not so alone. Music can give you a voice, even if you’re growing up in a household in which you have none. xoxoxo ♥️

[@wightclaudia]

Which is precisely why the most abstract, abrasive, ugly, cutting edge and violent music out there has kept my PTSD at bay and allows me to be a family man. I’m smiles and rainbows all day and then I get in the car and it’s 2 hours of ear pounding, steering wheel slapping, tear jerking baffonery and I’m back to normal

[@circleinforthecube5170]

No, i feel like the reason kids and teenagers feel so isolated especially in north america is because of the ugly, isolating, car centric urban planning, most americans do little outside of work, sleep, shop

[@ravenhawk8758]

I'm a Gen Xer and when I was a kid, music had, and still has a huge part in me, defining myself and my strong sense of individuality. I still search out new artist and I have been an active guitar player and songwriter since I was 15 years old. Music is an essential part of each day for me.

[@craigjohnson4302]

I'm 70 (OMG!). I from the arcades era and was addicted, spending many hours and quarters in there. But, I eventually grew up and sloughed off the addiction. My son eventually became involved (and addicted) with video games. By then the arcades were gone video game consoles had come into their own. As a kid, my son wanted me to play with him, but he kicked my ass and would get impatient with me because I sucked at it. So, from that point on, we both made the decision that I would just watch him play. I was OK with it because their movie-like storylines were quite good and entertaining. One I really liked was Castlevania because ! thoroughly enjoyed the music. I would hum along with it and my son would sek, "What are you doing?" He too wasn't listening to the music because of his laser focus on the visuals and interactiveness.

[@hollywoodartchick]

Rick, I also think that "being a musician" was part of a lifestyle change that gave young people freedom - they would have rehearsals and gigs that got them out of the house without their parents. They would eventually go on the road to support larger acts and maybe get some studio work or become roadies or technicians that set up for shows. Young musicians got more independence, and if they started earning money with their music, even more independence. With the cost of living now, most young people can't achieve independence no matter what they do. Most families don't have a space a kid could practice much less have a band rehearse (you need at least a garage for that). If kids can do it alone in a room with a computer, they do it, but if they need the space and money to connect IRL with others, it just doesn't happen. Also, parents have conditioned the recent generation to be more afraid of meeting people IRL. You can't be like that and be in a band.

[@popoff7808]

This is definitely a shift on the whole. Leaving aside music lesson parents used to just send their kid outside to play. "Get out of the house!" We'd go to the park or walk into town or some of my freind tooks the damn subway at 9, 10, 11 into freaking New York when it was dangerous.

[@skystarless]

Underrated comment. Also, a lot of teenagers and young people these days probably have to work in addition to going to school and doing chores and whatever else is demanded of them. Where are they supposed to find the time for music lessons or practice? Instruments are expensive, too, and music education in the US is in shambles. ...Nah, must be the video games. 😂

[@oscarlove4394]

@@popoff7808 that's illegal in most of america now. People have gone to jail for letting their kids play in thier own back yard (not front yard, back yard).

[@alecoram7874]

My millennial little tidbit: video game music is arguably one of the most underappreciated mediums of music there is. Koji Kondo and Nobuo Uematsu are genius composers up there with Hans Zimmer and John Williams - just to scratch the surface.

[@dinkygnatbane]

I'm a gen-x dude and I agree. The OSTs for a lot of video games are really good - from orchestral to metal to chip-tunes. There is so much good video game music.

[@RyTrapp0]

I think Mick Gordon's work on 'Doom' also put more spotlight on game soundtracks in recent years too - some of the gnarliest metal, video game or not!

[@stprm2013]

Not many, but there are few established movie/TV composers, who already for a long time, compose music for games. And its brilliant! Prime example - Gustavo Santaolalla.

[@gustavoprado2597]

When I first played FF7, the thing that gripped me immediately at first was the music. It made me fall in love with music and gaming at the same time (especially the whole Final fantasy franchise, Uematsu is a genius).

[@JohnSloanW]

Hey yo, imma let you finish, but Masayoshi Soken is the greatest composer of all time.

[@AJames1106]

I teach composer study to kids from age 6-18. They all listen to music and enjoy music. I think the big difference is they have someone sharing their love for music with them in a group setting. I owe my love for music to my elementary school music teacher. I’m a millennial and I am one of the few in my generation that experienced a well done music program in elementary school. I think a big part of why kids don’t like music is they aren’t taught it. A lot of the arts programs disappeared out of the schools. (I home educate and majority of homeschool kids love music. We have huge programs that are community lead built around it).

[@markbrady5566]

Love your channel Rick!! It seems to me people of all ages these days have such a short attention span and I think that's part of the problem. I am about the same age as you, I used to go to record store with a friend after we made enough money mowing lawns to afford to each buy a record. Then we'd go home and listen to them just hanging out, exactly as you described! Great times ... I am also a musician and it's amazing to me to get someone's attention to listen to anything for more than a minute these days ...

[@floralfire]

I was born in 2002, I’m 20 now. Music from videos games is actually what motivated me to seek music and play instruments. Rhythm and music games like Guitar Hero really introduced me to music like nothing else. Can’t forget about the iconic music of Mario Kart, Halo, Zelda, Forza, Doom, Animal Crossing etc. These game soundtracks are part of the reason I kept going back to these games. I believe game OST’s and the game itself go hand and hand.

[@ajlange9920]

me too dude

[@kleingrrmpf]

Same here. I play a lot of games with very good music! Although I often listen to Metal, Rock or Jazz, when playing Minecraft, I actively listen to the music when playing a Mario game or Mario Kart or some RPG. And I enjoy the music very much. But this is probably not the case for people who don't care about music. I don't think there is anyone who doesn't like ANY music, but some people just don't care... For me it is the opposite. My interest in music goes as far as listening to fantastic covers or OSTs of games I have never played before like the Pokémon games, Zelda, Metroid, Final Fantasy etc. To my gaming experience, music has a vital point because without some background music, some games are just not as exciting. But that is not true for all games. I think that what adds to that is that today's very popular PvP shooters like CS:GO, Fortnite, Overwatch don't have any good music or no music at all. I guess it comes down to how good the music is, as in how well it will stay in your ear and how easy it can be recognized again, and how well you are doing in a game. If you need to focus on the controls to get the bare minimum done, of course you don't really listen to the music. But there are a lot of games with incredible music out there and people who cherish that music, even when not playing the game:)

[@SonOfTamriel]

That's great, but you're kinda missing the point of this video.

[@everydayfun9531]

Listen to Genshin impact music so F cool!

[@wolfetteplays8894]

Same. The first ever song I composed was an Undertale remix xD

[@thraknik]

I think you've made an excellent point about how younger people experience music today, but its also fair to note that many kids don't have as much free time as we did growing up. For us it was "get out and be home by dinner, don't be late and I don't care if you don't have a watch!". Today's kids are shuffled from activity to activity, and when they do get together they're gaming at someone's house. So they've lost their autonomy compared to what previous generations experienced, and that plays into the social elements you bring up. I've taught guitar since 1990 and I've always encouraged my students to bring me their music so I can show them how to play it. There is no dominant trend among them at this point, everyone likes something different. Also, music is cheap now, even free. Three hours work at Culver's pays for your spotify subscription for the month with money left over for lunch, instead of just getting you one album that you're going to agonize over as you choose it. So with limited time, little social reward, and little required commitment music has become more of an accessory, not something they are openly passionate about. They don't really know that the option exists, merely liking it seems enough.

[@DejanLapanja]

That’s spot on!

[@sbyrstall]

I would disagree to a point. The number of overlooked kids are small compared to how you believe.

[@thraknik]

@@sbyrstall so what is the basis of your opinion? Mine comes from teaching teenagers for over 30 years. "overlooked" is not a word I would use, but "overworked" is apt, I think. So waddya got?

[@mountaindont34ify]

I hate that about the modern age.. how kids are just shuffled from place to place activity to activity. Non stop. Go go go hurry up! What happened to get us here? My wife, kids and I were at the park the other day and saw some 9 year old-ish boys playing without parental supervision and she (31 years old) made a comment "Where are these kids parents at?!" To which I replied.. honey.. I was roaming the streets at 4 years old with a fake plastic toy rifle and a cowboy hat and everyone else was too in the 90s.. Gawd.. i don't want my kids to grow up full blown addicted to video games, sheltered and without autonomy.. I hope they love music as much as I do.

[@IcidLink]

Yeah I see this also the Interests are vary varied today you find for everything a community and the young people have vastly different interests a lot like things like Vodeogames and some also are into the whole Anime / Manga Community some like Marvel and/or DC, some are interested in technology and Watch MKBHD or Linus Tech Tips, some care more about lifestyle topics such as fashion and make up, some are into bodybuilding or at least sports or exercising and some even are really into music / certain genres of Music like the K-pop or J-pop Fans some folks like Matall or bands like Nirvana or even Queen or The Stones. In the past you had mostly just one dominant Pop / Music Culture at a time today everything is much more varied the downside of this is that there is barely any universal common thing besides maybe Mainstream Hollywood Movies anymore because everyone likes different stuff so people stay in their community’s most of the time or they just have contact to other community’s with simulier interests like the whole “Nerd” community where you have shared interests in between the sub communities like Videogames are liked by the Anime Fans and Western Superhero Fans alike also the cosplay community where you have people where some dress up ad Superheroes some as Anime / Manga Characters and some as Videogame Characters Western and Japanese and at most conventions they all there simultaneously so there is some overlapping between all those sub interests

[@kelpkelp5252]

When I was growing up acid house and hiphop were just breaking out over here in the UK. The sounds were so fresh and new that that was part of the appeal but also a lot of the appeal was the community side of it, being out with people my own age all enjoying the same stuff. Really made you feel like part of something new and exciting. Not sure if kids now will have anything like that.

[@emmabaker8358]

Mr. Beato, I love your channel and I agree with much of your reasoning. I understand that this is a transitional period in American music, and that many people your age look back to the '60s-'90s as a kind of lost golden age. The infrastructure and the culture surrounding music has changed. But I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with many of your main points. As a member of Gen Z, I grew up listening to my family's country CDs, from Johnny Cash to Shania Twain. My dad's iPod and speakers filled the house with Stevie Wonder, the Commodores, and Ella Fitzgerald. When I was old enough to have my own Pandora account, the tunes just played. I remember the thrill, the discovery of creating new "channels." It was the greatest thing in the world, like a radio station just for me. It felt like a treasure and a miracle. I remember distinctly when I fell in love with 2010s indie pop. In place of liner notes, I would look up the lyrics and dissect them with my friends. I remember being introduced to rock, rap, metal, funk, and punk -- each genre, individually, is associated with different people and ways of thinking for me. I could tell you to the day when I first heard Fleetwood Mac's Rumours AND Lorde's Melodrama. Most of us have access to most of the music ever made, and we were never limited by accessibility or affordability. That makes music cheaper, yes, and that has its own consequences. But I don't think cheapening music takes away its power. For me and my peers, music is still vital, even if we're a little bit less precious about it. You lament the demise of singer-songwriters. I say my peers' heroes, their icons, are singer-songwriters. From Lana del Rey to Hozier even to new names like Chappell Roan, singer-songwriters flourish outside of the Top 40 and often within it (just look at Taylor Swift and the legions of fans who dissect her lyrics as well)! I could also tell you about how much we adore video game music as its own art form. A good video game score does more than fade away into the background. I would compare it to a film score. No one argues that a film score is somehow lesser music. When I hear the opening notes to the soundtrack of a story-driven game, I tear up just the same. Your friend is not the only person who actually listened to the music in Mario Kart. There are people who value that type of music on its own enough to sell out concerts, same as people performing the work of John Williams or Hans Zimmer. You say we want to emulate video game streamers. I don't know if you're aware of the immense, often incredibly generative, fandom around KZbinrs and streamers, as well as video games themselves. There is creativity there, and some of it is indeed musical. Music is changing, as all art forms do, with the introduction of new technology. Some things will be gained, and some things will be lost. But frankly, your own social circle cannot represent all of Gen Z. We are here making music and we always will be, every and any way we know how. Your generation has left us a treasure trove of influences. Look for talented musicians who don't remember 9/11. You will find them.

[@thatmeanmexican9423]

I’m Gen Z but video games is actually the main reason why I’m into music these days I was 14 playing a game called mafia 2 has a lot of songs from the 40’-50’s and that’s how I really got into rock then started discovering all different kinds of music from different eras and man I haven’t listened to modern day music since

[@treek10k]

Jesus Christ died for your sins on the cross. Repent and believe in him or you will be separated from God The Father for all eternity and face hell forever, for all eternity, never ending!

[@allantomlinson6961]

This is the same for me but the game of GTA san Andreas it made me fall in love with hard rock and grunge. the songs on the in game radio stations

[@justathumb]

@@allantomlinson6961 that's so crazy! that's how we got into those songs, but in the literal car on the radio 😂 we were reliant on the radio to discover songs cos we didn't have internet. man i sound 85 but im 38 😂

[@JariSatta]

Video games helped me develop my ear and memory for music. The oldest games had only 8 to 32 bars of music, and the melodies needed to be catchy, because the soundscape and sound palette was very narrow

[@beth6379]

I am young and I love Beatles and Piano/CLASSIAL MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!! I totaly agree with you but I am ONE OF THE RARE PEOPLE WHO PLAYSS GUITAR AND PIANO!!!!!!

[@kierkegaardian]

You mentioned needing to save up $15 to buy an album when you were a teenager. The record industry was so afraid of the internet they decided to restructure for streaming which not only hurts artist revenue but made the next generation view the product as valueless. Kids have to put their money elsewhere and their hearts follow.

[@mikexhotmail]

Agree, Music used to come in a full package of memories. Ps. Streaming steals all those precious moments

[@ejenplitobarces]

​@@mikexhotmailI totally agree

[@mikexhotmail]

1. You heard it from the radio 2. You wait there with the radio open all day 3. You go to your friend's home who have a cassette recorder 4. The DJ piss you off since he randomly talking over the song. 5. Finally, you buy yourself that lovely album or single from the shop 6. Having a (silence) conversation with the shop owner (nodding at each other) 7. In bed reading all those lyrics cover to cover. @@ejenplitobarces

[@sangdrako]

That's an interesting observation. Glob, I'd love to see people looking into this

[@timorthelame1]

@@mikexhotmail I can empathize with you and your sense of nostalgia but for the most part the song remains the same regardless of the format being used to access the song, (with the sound of the classics on vinyl being an obvious exception). For the most part, I see the changes as being more for the better, especially in regards to the costs and access to a much wider variety of music. I still cherish my time growing up, hanging out at records stores and building up my record collection in my youth but I wouldn't change what we have today for what we had 40 years ago, except for the quality of the music being produced today.

[@ajmania7692]

Hey Rick. I just turned 19 years old and I've been involved in music since I was about 5. I love music and video games and I love watching your videos even when I'm gaming. As a musician, you've taught me a ton! Keep doing what you are doing! I know it will reach and inspire a young kid somewhere!

[@caprise-music6722]

@@DoIT4Kix hear hear! Well said

[@kinestaugustsyntera]

Happy birthday!

[@xuxuang8574]

I think a big element of it is the stratified nature of our culture. As people have a far more diverse array of cultural options to partake in, everyone is finding their own niche. It used to be that music was far more widespread and culture was far more widespread because it was far more homogeneous. And so music formed a central part of that culture. Whereas now these subcultures are spread out all across the globe and are orbiting around fandoms such as TV shows and other things of a similar nature.

[@novagate22]

A bunch of fair observations from you Rick. I cant get my daughter to go back to piano despite her love of it. She is getting involved with a local choir (good - community and social). Maybe a set of tiktoks with sampled best bits from a guest (not industry though) playlist. eg Boston, America etc with a few other iconic riffs/choruses thrown in. Someone said previously it isnt for lack of entertainment, so we need to engage through that path as well. That is what older people could do to influence this cadre.

[@mattslater167]

In the US, music classes have been systematically underfunded for a long time. Maybe it's catching up. Also, physical albums becoming obsolete can't have helped.

[@mitchweiner]

Physical albums are having a resurgence the last few years!

[@realobama1100]

Yeah, all of the music classes (in public school) ive had, the music we had to learn was horrible so nobody was motivated to learn it, so nobody practiced.

[@mattslater167]

@@mitchweiner that may be, but the damage has been done.

[@buzzfretwear2906]

While sad, I think what you describe isn't the root cause of the issue. It's the downstream effect of whatever has caused the disinterest in music. You can't cram music classes down kids' throats if they aren't interested in the class to begin with. Similarly, enrollment in school sports has been on the decline as well.

[@danduntz9112]

As a Gen X parent raised on the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and various other groups and musicians, I’ve been able to pass the love of music on to my Gen Z daughters. It also helps that they’re both musicians as am I, with music constantly played in the house/college apartments, which I think has been the difference for them.

[@amyhayutin1738]

Same demographics here and my love of music taught to me by my parents, translated into my gen Z daughter’s love of music. I still take them to live shows and they take me to artists’s shows they find.

[@SpiritLife]

Mega Man 2, Final Fantasy 6, Chrono Trigger, even Mario World had AMAZING music! Informed my tastes and understudy of composition

[@GiorgosZiotas]

I often ask myself "what is good taste and do you aquire it". I think music is a step in this direction and we are constantly drifting away from this.

[@walkssilently1099]

As a gen z kid that has spent most of their life playing video games I think music still plays a huge role in my life. Gen z may consume music differently from most people in the past but I don’t think it has ever stopped people falling in love with music and creating bonds through it

[@diegosotomiranda4107]

Agree, this take it's kinda ignorant in The vast variety that videogames soundtracks has as a medium

[@rileyholata7837]

As someone in their mid teens I totally agree with this video. I used to clock in hours of gaming every day but unlike music it doesn't have the same emotional connection. Once I got out of that and picked up the drums, my life changed drastically and I couldn't be more grateful. So many of my musician friends feel the same way and I am praying that more people get adopted into this fascinating culture.

[@kinkyxkitten666]

Bullshit man. As a millenial music (mainly metal & emo) saved my life in the mid 2000s. Yall just don't get it.

[@spartanchillz7431]

@@kinkyxkitten666 I can’t tell if this is negative or not but at least me and the other guy aren’t a ton of mindless screen addicts unlike most people in our generation, at least we are aware of how terrifying it is knowing our entire generation is overran by a ton of screens, in fact most of them are so entranced with their device that barely any of them are aware of this issue so please for the love of Christ sake appreciate the fact that there are only a select few of us that can appreciate anything other than a stupid fucking phone 😤

[@the_panos]

@@kinkyxkitten666 isn't your experience the same as theirs pretty much? You're acting like he's not agreeing with you

[@beelzemobabbity]

Maybe play some games with music.. so many games have such amazing soundtracks. When you listen to them later it brings you back to the stories and emotions you felt.

[@Dracoriax]

@@kinkyxkitten666 The OP is literally saying he was wrong and he appreciates music "Once I got out of that and picked up the drums, my life changed drastically and I couldn't be more grateful".

[@GuitarUTube]

Very good video; Keep 'em comin'

[@WholeFoodPlantPeople]

I remember the music from our old video games from the 80s. They stuck in my head.

[@vamnoone]

Hello, a 20 year old girl here . I am a big Depeche Mode fan and when i listened to my Black Celebration record it really dragged me into another world. It was so magical. One could NEVER compare music to video games. People in my age really miss something!

[@Lilaflyskyhigh]

You rock girl! 😊

[@yuzan3607]

As a millennial with a gen Z brother, this topic is super interesting to me. Growing up, I had a very limited exposure to music I was limited by whatever TV channels I was watching, my peers, my location and language and probably my social class played a huge role on which music I was exposed to. I of course also lived with the internet later on and so I had the opportunity to discover all types of music, I'm not anymore limited by location or language. My brother learned a lot of new music from me when he was a kid (we're 16 years apart), from the beginning he was exposed to all sorts of music. Now, he and his friends listen to music from all over the globe. Like he introduced me to awesome songs I've never heard of from Georgia (the country). It's so interesting to me how he and his friends are so 'global' musically. It's fascinating. I'm interested to see how that will effect his relationship to music when he's my age.

[@stevejtx01]

There were two dynamics going on when I graduated high school in 1972: The first was that my heroes were musicians in the exploding rock music world on FM radio, who were only a few years older than I was. The second was that it seemed to be a real possibility me and my friends could jump into that world from a garage band to the local clubs and possibly beyond to a real career. I think todays youth correctly get it that the music business is a corporate factory that is, like any big enterprise, kind of exclusive, and closed to outsiders, mostly. A few who persevere AND are very lucky get in, but that 'gold rush' seems to be over...

[@eduardoaraujo6504]

Rick's point is a valid one, but at least in Brazil, kids flock the live music concerts and festivals going on throughout the year and largely attend the wide range of live music performances that take place on the streets of many Brazilian cities. Not to mention Carnival in February and the Saint John festivities every June. A different relationship with music than my generation, yes, but music still is an integral part of social life in Brazil. I'm 53 BTW.

[@thiagolb8]

So different from my experience with video games. I was born in 2000 and started to develop a taste for instrumental music (orchestra, etc) solely because of the games I've played like God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Nintendo classiscs and so on.

[@DeadDreams120]

What instruments do you play?

[@thiagolb8]

@@DeadDreams120 I play the Classical Guitar. You can check some videos of me playing it in my channel.

[@BeeWhistler]

Tell it like it is! I think he’s gonna have to ask a lot more of your generation before making this assessment. My kids all love music and video games.

[@CatsInHats-S.CrouchingTiger]

Music can do something really beneficial for the brain even if they don’t play music or an instrument, it can open up the spacial design abilities, which is beneficial for many jobs which use that intelligence.

[@stephensylvarwolf7940]

I'm in the same boat. I'm 22 now and have playing games for most of my life. One of my favorite parts of a good game or media in general is the music. Grew up playing orchestral and symphonic instruments before eventually settling into playing my Electric Bass Guitar the most. Music is and has always been a huge part of my life, and it shall continue to be so

[@drummer265]

I was born in '90 and oddly enough, I actually give credit to a lot of the PS/PS2 skate, BMX, and racing games' soundtracks for getting me into my first "my bands" that weren't just my parents' music. Stuff like Tony Hawk 1&2, Grind Session, Dave Mira, Need for Speed all had great punk and alt rock/metal bands playing in the background.

[@Thomas-qi7hx]

The San Andreas soundtrack was a big one for me

[@AKERBERENES]

Absolutely, also Gran Turismo 2, Sled Storm, Jet Set Radio... which reminds me that started making music on a Playstation software haha. Video games and music where totally connected throughout my teenage years, not only did I pay attention to the music while playing, I discovered tons of bands and musical projects playing games.

[@SUP3RP3DR0L1V3]

@@Thomas-qi7hx Born in '98. GTA Vice City was the seed for the musical fruits that I reap today. Funny how a single piece of art (VC) shaped my vision over another different type of art (Music).

[@justinr1094]

Crazy Taxi, Burnout and the Sonic Adventure games had some killer band music too. The late 90s-early 2000s had incredible video game music with real instrumentation!

[@uskidsknow19]

ATV off road fury introduced me to SOAD, Tony hawk absolutely had some bangers, guitar hero too tbh

[@linkenski]

I'm a 93'er, so maybe not quite a zoomer. I grew up with the popular music and music video TV being all about the latest 2000s pop songs and modern rock like Linkin Park and everyone I knew liked Metallica on some level. Interestingly enough, what got me into music as a gamer-nerd who didn't like CD music, was stuff from the games. Rayman 2 on N64 was the first time I noticed music had an effect on me, because the N64 version has an intro segment that builds up into a title reveal that to this day i still super badass. Later I would feel the shift in mood in Halo games, and as a result of things like that I started listening to real music, and I started playing the guitar, and I became a huge Tool and Maynard fan, and Radiohead fan and many more. I think music still has a role but I think there's oversaturation in the industry and Spotify has commoditized music in a way that makes it less unique than it used to be. "Service" products do this generally speaking, even video games.

[@unfathomablyunfathomable]

I'm a younger Gen Z and cannot comprehend how so many of my peers just don't care at all about music let alone in a deeper way. They listen to a bit of mainstream music and that's it. They hate older music such as The Beatles or classical compositions simply because they're "nerdy" or "old". Ridiculous actually. Videogames just fuelled my love for music, as I aspire to become a composer for games and movies when I grow up because of my love for e.g. OST music, and how anyone can get into making music (Toby Fox inspired me as an example). Loving videogames and having a deep passion for music aren't mutually exclusive. It's just that the people today with talent get overshadowed by the mainstream low quality sampling circus with as little effort as possible put into the music. I'm not into the most mainstream of videogames either, like your average AAA game enjoyer, no. I love games such as genDESIGN's masterpieces that are works of art, with countless hours put into the making of the music and the feel of it all.