"I like all kinds of music...except country."

"Country music is just about trucks and drinking beer."

I’ve heard it all before. Usually, when I tell people that country is my favorite, I get questioned and hear those types of comments. I didn't start to like country music until about two years ago. I had friends that listened to it and I would always think to myself "How can they listen to that crap?"

Well, now you're probably saying that about me now. My friends started to play country music while we all hung out over the summer after my senior year of high school, I started to like it. Then, we went on vacation and the car ride was about eleven hours; a close friend of mine made a playlist specific for this trip and mixed in country music. Since then I haven't been able to stop listening to it.

Fast forward about a year to the summer of '17. I went with my girlfriend, who is also a big country fan, to Ohio Stadium for Buckeye Country Superfest, a two-day concert. Headlining the show was Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, and Zac Brown Band. I think that's when I truly fell in love with country music. Zac Brown, Kenny Chesney, and Keith Urban are my three favorite artists and getting to see them perform live in one incredible weekend was truly an amazing experience.

Let me clear some things up. Yes, country artists love trucks and beer, but that's not what every song is about. There are a vast amount of fans who also drive trucks through mud and have bottle openers in every room of their house. But not all of them. To me, country music is about having a good time with your buddies without a care in the world. I will say that beer and other forms of alcohol are mentioned in songs, but what are you doing when you're drinking, usually? You're probably having a good time at the bar, or a barbeque, or watching sports with your family and friends.

I do not hate rap/hip hop but I don't enjoy listening to a lot of it. I do like some rap, don't get me wrong. What I don't like about rap is that usually there's a heavy amount of bass and the music is made with a computer. When you see Kendrick Lamar perform live, it's just him with a microphone, no instruments or band, not even a D.J. I would say that a lot of rap music, that I hear, is about sex and drugs. Not only that, but there's also a lot of swearing in it.

When I turn on the radio, I like to listen to a song that isn't half bleeped out. I'm not going to sit here and type that rap music is bad because it dominates the US. Just taking a quick glance at the "United States Top 50" playlist on Spotify I see Drake, Post Malone, 21 Savage, G-Eazy, A$AP Rocky and many other rap artists. So, to say that it's bad or garbage would be ignorant.

I respect those artists for what they do, I just choose not to listen to them. I’m sure that you can also pick apart why you don’t like country music just as I did with rap. And that’s okay, we can agree to disagree. I can’t connect with rap like I can with country.

I started teaching myself guitar about seven months ago. One of my favorite things to do is to go to the lake while the sun is setting and just play my favorite songs on guitar, majority being country. Being able to connect with the music on a different level is something that is really special to me. Hearing the guitar riffs or even the rhythm guitar in songs inspires me to play more.

Zac and Keith are phenomenal on guitar and I always admire their work when I listen to their music. Not too often are you going to hear someone strumming along to "DNA" or "Bank Account". And if you do find someone, it's not going to sound like the original track. I love being able to learn how my favorite artists play songs. You know that feeling of excitement when you go somewhere like a restaurant or a cover band and they're playing one of your favorite songs? I love being able to do that with my guitar.

I really appreciate how complex some of the songs are. For example, Zac Brown Band has 3-4 guitar players, a bass player, a fiddler, a keyboard player, a drummer, and percussionist all playing together. My favorite song by them, "Free", has a guitar riff that's played throughout most of the song that is played by Zac Brown, who is also singing.

That's not an easy thing to do: sing, while plucking specific notes, staying in time, etc... Being an amateur guitar player makes me think to myself "wow, this guy is extraordinary" when I hear him play/sing. The same goes for Keith Urban. If you're wondering what I'm talking about, go on youtube.com and search "Keith Urban live" and look for a video of just him performing, no band or anything. I would pay money just to see him and his guitar because not many other people can do what he does.

To me, the best way to listen to country music is driving with the windows down on a hot summer's day or being outside with your friends having a good time together. The best time to listen to it is in the summer because that's the setting in most country songs. It's not for everybody by any means, but I think that you should give it a try sometime with the right people in the right environment.