You're never too old to learn...

Okay, so I'm a pretty open-minded person.  I have my own views and if I've really put considerable thought into forming these views, I generally stick to them. But I try never to close my mind off.  I purposely read content with opposing political views.  I don't ever wanna be "that guy" who is so closed-minded there's no room to learn.

I'm this way in nearly every aspect of my life.  Except one. Politics?  Nope.  Religion?  Nope.

I am a closed-minded MUSIC SNOB! *hangs head in shame*

I don't know why it happened or when it happened.  But it happened.

"New music is crap."  Um, what?  Yep.  That's what I said.  Now how would I know this, considering I only listen to old country, big band, some jazz and "easy listening?"  Well that's the thing.  I wouldn't know.  Because I'm a music snob.  Of course Ray Price and Perry Como are the greatest singers ever born on this planet and I'm not likely to change that.  But to completely shut out not just individual singers and song writers, but also whole genres?  Wrong.

So what opened my eyes?  Well, it's the strangest thing. It happened on Twitter. And what unlikely person caused it?  Are you sitting down?  Rosanne Cash.

Craig Ferguson said to follow her and well you KNOW how I feel about @craigyferg. *swoon*  So I did.  And she is funny and witty and makes me laugh.  Hmmm...not what I expected.

So I fell down the youTube rabbit hole for a while, listening to a few of her songs from "The List." And you know how youTube works...while you're listening, you're browsing the other "related videos" along the sidebar.  So I listened to an interview she did in September 2010 called "The Hour: Rosanne Cash."

To tell you the truth, I've never liked Johnny Cash.  I've never appreciated his voice AT ALL.  I didn't even  see the recent (I watch '40s movies so "recent" is relative) movie about his life because, well, "I don't like him."  In the interview, they mentioned Johnny doing "Hurt" (Nine Inch Nails - whoever the heck THEY are) so of course I youTubed it.

Wow.

Rosanne mentioned something in that interview that really struck me.  Like HARD, right upside the head. She talked about watching it for the first time with her dad and noticing that he viewed it with "an artist's eye." That started me thinking about why I can see a work of art on canvas and HATE it and still appreciate the talent it took to create it. Or why I can read something that doesn't interest me in the least and still be able to see the talent it took to write it.  WHY, then, can't I do that with music?

Watching that video of "Hurt" actually brought tears to my eyes.  And it also opened them. And you know what?  Johnny Cash was awesome.  Yes, I said it.  And you know what else?  So is Rosanne.  I've spent the better part of an hour just listening to HER songs and that woman has some SERIOUS talent.

So Rosanne, wherever you are, thanks for opening up a closed mind.  And you wondered why you were tired today? =)

Now I'm off to see what Nine Inch Nails are...