Know your jazz and blues (at least a little)

Good music is a matter of taste, but I guarantee 90% of your managers and execs out there claim to be fans of one or both of these 2 genres. I have no problem with either one, but there is no way I would listen to either one for extended periods of time. Jazz gets boring and the blues are just depressing. Like all of you, whether you want to admit it or not, I’m a pop person (precisely why they call it popular music). And do you know why it’s popular… because it’s basically pretty good, or at least listenable.


Jazz and blues have become the faux favorite music of choice for our current managers and executives. It’s a way for them to seem hip without being too regular or mainstream like us. It’s also a veiled attempt at seeming down to earth. To being one with the black man (though they almost never are black, and certainly don’t live near blakcs). It’s their way to seem cultured but not pretentious like those classical music fans (the faux-favorite of music majors, academics, and old school managers everywhere).

My advice is to learn about a few artists from both genres in the event that you end up talking about them with your boss on say a long car or plane ride. This will get him to falsely believe you actually do know something about the subject which will do 1 of 2 things (both are good):

1. It will make them respect you a bit more for your pseudo-true-pseudo taste in music.

Or more likely…

2. It will shut them up on the subject since they really know nothing about the subject in the first place and don’t want to look foolish or uneducated, allowing you to concentrate on more important things like the hot stewardess serving you drinks (Just kidding, there are no hot stewardesses anymore).

It’s basically like bluffing with a low pair in your hand. You’re not that dangerous, but not worth the risk to look foolish. And, as always, requires very little effort on your part.