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Rock Band: The Reason I Learned to Love Music

After the last week of new weekly Rock Band DLC, we asked fans to send us their stories about Rock Band to share with the community. This story is from RockBand.com forum member LiveHomeVideo.


There was a time in my adolescence where if you were to ask me my favorite Queen song I’d look you square in the eye and ask, “What the heck is Queen?” Yes, there was a time where my likes and dislikes were dependent on pop radio stations. I was born in a house run by the likes of David Bowie and Tom Petty, but several family swaps later I grew up on Nickelback and Red Hot Chili Peppers. I happen to like both of those bands, but that’s besides the point (yes, I just admitted to liking Nickelback. Come at me, bro!).

My aunt did not like me playing violent video games, even though at the time I thought those were instantly the good ones, and insisted I pick out a nonviolent one. So I picked up Rock Band, and fell in love with the songs on the disc. Soon songs such as "Mississippi Queen" and "Green Grass and High Tides" were listened to more often than the likes of whatever was on the radio at the time. I became addicted to the guitar instrument to the point where after I played Rock Band 2 for countless hours every day my aunt would complain that I should learn to play a real guitar instead (Joke’s on her, though, since now I can learn to play the real guitar with Rock Band).

After several unrelated mishaps I decided to move out and go to my mom’s place. There I had an internet connection and an actual weekly allowance. So I decided one day to see what was in the Rock Band Music store at the time. I sat for a whole day listening to previews and seeing just what was available. I ran into artists that made me scratch my poor little head, such as iwrestledabearonce and Yngwie Malmsteen. I started spending my allowances on songs of every kind, trying to see what they sounded and played like. It seemed the more I bought the more I realized just what music could be, and how it has evolved.

It wasn’t only through the game I learned of great music. In fact, the community tied around this game turned me on to some of my favorite bands ever. If it weren’t for my “tier prediction” threads (where people would suggest a song and I’d predict how hard it’d be on Rock Band) I would have never learned that Pink Floyd is awesome and that rock music in general is so diverse. I have learned to love bands such as Ne Obliviscaris, The Bravery, Icecross, and the bands I work with for the Rock Band Network.

So now here I am, jamming out to songs that I would have never dreamed enjoying as much as I do, supporting indie artists who try to gain exposure on the Rock Band Network, and even writing my own “music.” Rock Band and its community has taught me to be more open minded towards not only music, but new concepts in general. I am no longer that fifteen-year-old boy who listens to more Lady Gaga than Metallica. Rather, I am a person proud to say that Rock Band has made me an open-minded person who will accept any form of music as art.

Thank you.