It's OK, you're cooler now

I talk to a lot of different people about music. These conversations can go in any direction, but there is one question that really floats my boat and is always good for a few laughs: What was the first cassette tape or CD you ever owned? \nIt can wrack more than a few brains, but it speaks volumes about people. I find that a majority of people don't even listen to first tapes or CDs anymore, and that's if people can even remember what they were.\nIf guilt accompanies the answer, then you know at least the person's musical tastes have matured. And if the reply is nonchalant, then you know music doesn't play a large part in that person's life. And if the music on a first tape or CD isn't even in the same ballpark as the music a person likes now, then you know that person has made a musical discovery over the years. \nFor instance, my friend's first CD was Boyz II Men's Cooleyhighharmony. Not bad, but judging from a chuckle that followed and looking at what he plays now, I could tell he wasn't glowing with pride. But it's understandable because, like many of us when we purchased or received our first CD, he was a 10-year-old fledgling. More than likely, he heard all the hits on the radio, liked the grooves and the quartet's range of vocals, and decided to go for it. \nAnother friend's first tape was New Kids on the Block's Hangin' Tough. Nostalgia works its magic when she remembers being in kindergarten and rocking out to Jordan Knight and Co. during the holidays. But in all honesty, today she admits only listening to NKOTB and other early childhood favorites like Ace of Base after she's had a few drinks (just to have a musical change of pace). \nPersonally, when I look back at my past CD purchases (and burns), I have endured a fair share of pitfalls (Elastica!?!). But I don't cringe when I recall my first CD (I skipped the cassette phase). In third grade I bought Nirvana's In Utero, followed by Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream and Pearl Jam's Vs. Of course I've branched out from the grunge scene, but for some inexplicable reason, I listen to songs from those albums almost daily now, 12 years later. Why is that? Luck, I guess. Maybe I knew what I liked all along. But this isn't the case for most people. \nWhether or not you're proud of your first CD or cassette is irrelevant. Most people see them as a joke anyway. The point is that listening to your own music on your own music player for the first time proves to be very memorable. Everyone I've talked to seems to remember the exact context under which they heard their first "owned" tune. Some even know what they were wearing, what color the headphones were and what the weather was like that day. \nI'm not trying to be an experienced psychologist or anything, but it seems like the brain has designated "vaults" that retain primary childhood memories like listening to music. The same can probably be said about a first baseball glove, a first board game or a first video game. \nAnother moral to be learned from these stories concerns the development of our musical tastes. Obviously, kids don't put a lot of thought into their first CD or cassette. They hear DJs and classmates talk about the newest hits. Soon everybody is singing the catchy lyrics, and a natural reaction at such a young age would be to join in the hoopla. \nFortunately the bandwagon approach wears thin with age among music fans. Eventually most people realize where their interests lie and pursue them. Though not always true, I like to think most college students have a strong personal preference when it comes to music. Thanks to friends, record stores, magazines, concerts and Web sites, recommendations come easy today and help people find their way through the jungle that is the music industry.\nSo for those of you who turn red when you think about your first CD, don't worry, because I'm sure you have found your musical niche now.