By Thomas Hair
Opinions Editor

What gets in my hair? People who spout off about how modern music is trash or how nothing will ever compare to the “classics” or how the art of music has hit an all time low.

I’m not a fan of modern music. I’m a fan of good music. It is for that reason that I believe that we are truly entering a golden age in the music industry. Yes, an era in which Nicki Minaj is playing on the radio instead of Led Zepellin and The Beatles can be considered a golden age.

Music is infinite in the 21st century. There are hundreds of ways to share music, thousands of genres and millions of artists. Output of music grows exponentially larger with each year, as more people have the means to produce music and share it with the world.

There has always been more bad music than good music. The 70s and 80s had plenty of junk as well. In retrospect, however, we only remember the highlights and gems of those eras, whereas we hear today’s crappy music every time we turn on a radio.

With output of music at an all-time high, there is more bad music than before, yes, but there is also more good music. All you have to do is look beyond the Top 40 pop stations and find it.

In this day and age, when there is infinite music instantly at your fingertips via the internet, there is little excuse to continue to listen to emotionless, corporately manufactured “music” like Ke$ha and Lil Wayne. There is also little excuse even to keep listening to the same exact artists and genres over and over and over. As an enthusiastic fan of music of many kinds, I am constantly on the lookout for intriguing artists and am always exploring new genres.

When I hear my friends remark “I’m bored of all my music” or “There’s no good music out right now” it completely astounds me. If you’re bored of all your music, perhaps try branching out of your comfort zone and delving into a genre you may not be familiar with. Even if you have a very picky taste in music, you’ll be surprised how many gems you can find if you search for them. But how, you ask? Where does one begin?

There are well-known music resources such as YouTube, Last.fm and Spotify, where you can search for music until your ears bleed and stumble upon tons of music that will bring you joy for years to come. I personally love Spotify and its gargantuan (and free) music database, but there is also a vast array of music blogs and websites that are constantly recommending great music from today and from years past.

There are popular music blogs and websites that cater to specific groups, such as blabbermouth.com (for metal fans), theboombox.com (for hip hop fans) or progarchives.com (for progressive music fans). However, no music blog has earned my respect and loyalty as The Needle Drop has.

Headed by Anthony Spantano, “the world’s busiest music nerd”, The Needle Drop is an excellent resource for anyone who is into music. The website’s staff really knows its music and provides plenty of reviews, vlogs. recommendations and more for every genre  conceivable – from noise rock to electronic to doom metal and everything in between.

I firmly believe that music is one of the most powerful tools of self-expression known to mankind. The emotional power of music is immense and there’s noting else like it. You are doing yourself a disservice if you limit yourself to one certain type or one certain era of music. With literally hundreds of genres and soundscapes to discover and explore in this day and age, I am baffled by people who foolishly insist that all modern music is trash. The mainstream pop music most people associate with modern music is just the ugly tip of a beautiful iceberg. Don’t be afraid to try something different.

The 21st century is truly a golden age of music. Whether it is trip-hop or bebop, you’ll be surprised how rewarding it can be to expand your horizons – and taking advantage of 21st century resources like Spotify and The Needle Drop may be the first step in helping you begin your musical journey.