If You’ve been reading my other blog, Life’s Fullest, you’ll notice my drift into music. Not that I suddenly became an expert on such topic but I couldn’t resist being swooned into its soothing embrace. I tried recounting my outdoor experience with people who love this hobby and the kind of music they enjoy. The spectrum of people who enjoyed mountaineering as a hobby and their preference for music seem rather complex to say at least. One thing for sure, the predominance of one music genre over one point in time is definitely influenced by the kind of sociocultural backdrop to which these mountaineers belong.
When I started enjoying mountaineering as a past time, I am into pop and alternative rock, with the likes of Red Hot Chilli Peppers and U2 and to their Pinoy counter group Eraserheads and Rivermaya on my playlist more often. It was a mix of grunge, hedonistic, feel free and counter music that rocks the young heart in you. As I went deeper into the mountaineering subculture, I noticed the popularity of reggae music particularly among the hard core, local mountain rats (those that grow dredlocks in their hair). Bob Marley‘s music stand iconic among others. Brownman Revival‘s pop reggae as well as a local bisaya group, Enchi is well entrenched. The “high” (without the grass of course) that they get on this kind of music seem contagious at least and delirous at most. Whether counterculture or something else, this form of cultural expression seem to run deep than just liking this music genre at all.
I’m not bent on learning the roots this music psychology. I’d rather enjoy the music. At least that’s what we did when we last climbed Mt. Hamiguitan. One buddy, Allan brought his ipod and portable bass speaker in his backpack. I am certain that at some point along the trek, it shot up our adrenaline during an ardous marathon climb that would have been totally tiring and boring without the dancing music ringing our ears!
This is why I’m coming up a compilation of my travel and hiking music. Who knows, I might be needing it soon! Post a comment here if you have any suggestions!
