Music to the ears?

I was driving my son home from school yesterday and decided to turn on the radio. I'll be honest, I don't listen to the radio much because it distracts me from things I'm thinking about, and I don't like most of the popular music out today. I mean, the music is okay, it just doesn't do alot for me. I prefer Opera or Jazz. But sometimes I get in the mood, so start flipping stations trying to find something I like. I turned on an older song that although old, is a good classic. My teenage son thought it was stupid music so turned the station. The station he chose to stick with was playing a song that had someone screaming and yelling out the words to the song. I just can't bear that. He thinks I'm just old fashioned. Here is how I look at it, and this is what I told my son. If some kids were in my house, and started yelling like that, everyone would get annoyed and tell them to leave. No one in their right mind would sit and listen to someone screaming and call it music. I think normally those kind of songs last about two seconds before I hit the search button on the radio.

And while we are at it...what is up with Rap? Is it just me, or does it bug everyone that guys get up and say a bunch of rhyming words and then talk about how much they enjoy the "music" they make? I will concede that those who do the background music are muscians. But those who rap without any melody involved should be called something other than a musician. Hmm...I might go so far as to call them a "vocalist". They are voicing noises....just not what I would consider music.

I LOVE opera. I don't consider myself an opera expert though. I have attended a few operas in person, but I don't really study the subject. Most operas I have attended were not in English. The Opera House I go to has a special sign placed above the stage that shows the English translation of the Opera. But here is the test of good music for me: I can listen to CD after CD of opera and not understand a word they are singing, but still get caught up in the emotion of the song and the complexity of the arrangement. THAT is real music.