When You and Your Roommate Have Different Tastes in Music…

The Hip Hopper vs. The Indie Rocker

Whether it’s talking to them for the first time over Facebook and taking note to their unappealing “Favorite Music” section, or on move-in day seeing their collection of albums for the first time. If you aren’t satisfied, take a deep breath. There is hope.

There are these things called headphones…

1. Use them! This is your first and best option when you aren’t ready to (or won’t ever) branch out and give your roommate’s music a chance. You can buy headphones in a variety of sizes and styles. The best headphones are the ones that completely drown out the sound. Just make sure they look sweet. Agreeing to disagree isn’t the worst thing.

2. Share. Make a CD for them of your favorite albums and artists, so that they can get a feel and (hopefully) be willing to listen to more of your music. You know that you will not be converted. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t willing to be! Tell them to use Pandora or Grooveshark to look up your music, and get acquainted with it. And tell them that it will change their life. Hey, it worked for Zach Braff.

3. Be Creative. Not a huge fan of country? Pop? Hip Hop? Combine your roommate’s favorites with yours. Here are some genre equations with positive results:

• Country+Alternative=Folk (i.e. Sufjan Stephens, Fleet Foxes, Laura Marling, City & Colour, Fiona Apple, Arcade Fire)

Hip Hop+Techno=Electronic (i.e. Ratatat, Postal Service, Passion Pit)

World Music+Classical=Post rock (i.e. Sigur Rós, The Album Leaf, Explosions in the Sky, The Mercury Program)

4. Open up your musical horizons! Maybe you are willing to get your hands on some new music, that you wouldn’t have been interested in listening to before. Ask your roommate why they like the music that they do, and gain some insight to the music. Gaining perspective can make all the difference.