It comes from experiences and beliefs, for example you cannot truly sing about heart break unless your heart has been broken. If you had a very happy life and never where sad, how could you play a sad song.

these experiences we bring up in our heads while we play, is what makes music. Music is emotion.

Sounds like someone needs to read the original post...

No one will ever answer you're call as long as you expect it to be answered.

Jazz... Love these guys in the studio! They just blast through stuff and call it good. (It is, actually.) A lot of what we record in the jazz genre is structured jams. There is no fully written part, just a shell. Each player has a spot to "take off" and they just play with abandon. If you're not a jazz fan, then a lot of it will sound the same and seem a bit lifeless. Add to that, you're calling someplace that's going to keep you on eternal hold, so they're not going to play hold music that gets you all hyped up. They're going to play something that damned near lulls you to sleep so you are less likely to be "jazzed" (pun intended,) when they finally decide to disconnect you before answering.

OH... And I work for the old Bell System. Hold music is just that. There is a port to connect a CD player, radio, turntable, cassette player, DVD, etc., to the phone system. Most hold music is no longer produced specifically for that purpose. All it takes is a little programming on the PBX and every call will hear the same sound source playing when on hold. Blame the specific company for their selection. It's all in their hands.

Xark is right.. It's all pre-programmed stuff. Most people these days subscribe to a service that provides "background" music (like stores in Malls, Restaurants, etc.). Easier than each one of them paying ASCAP or BMI. :-)

xm radio has channels specifically for this purpose. i have xm on my television, and i have noticed they have " xm for buisiness" in the lineup. i'm pretty sure that it is " background " and " on hold " stuff. the weather channel is notorious for this light jazz type elevator music, very boring in my opinion. don't get me wrong, i agree that the studio musicians who record the stuff are talented, but i just dont find it very entertaining.

I don't much care where the music came from but I'm sorry to hear about your car. Hope it's nothing serious.

And I have actually heard a couple of interesting things on The Weather Channel LOL. But it has been a while

Doesn't it come from Paul McCartney ?

Rather than being lulled to sleep with crappy music maybe they could put a woman with a sexy voice on there. When they take me off hold to answer the call, I'd probably tell them to mind there own business.

A lot 'smooth' and 'cool' jazz, also known as elevator music, comes from people you know, but you don't know the songs per say. For instance, if you ever turn on the Weather Channel and listen to the music they have while scrolling through the current temp for all the cities, Pat Metheny is all over that...

I went to the Sound Shop one day looking for progresive Jazz, wanting Mahavishnu Orchestra type stuff, and Miles Davis Bitches Brew, and they actually told me that there is a cd of Weather Channel music. That's what they suggested.

I want to thank you all who expressed concern about the state of my car. Sadly the mechanic who looked at it suggested it may be well over a grand to get it back on the road and thought the best idea was to just walk away from it, which considering I can't drive away from it, may not be bad advice. Also thanks to all those who thought elevator music basically sucks, I tend to agree with that line of thought. As I learn to play and work and work for that little bit of gain in my playing I was thinking about how it would be to reach the level of ability the guys that play elevator music have reached and end up playing that kind of music. But at least they are putting food on the table with their instruments which is more than I can say. Thanks all.

Amen to that. I love my car, and i have spent well over that amount to keep the body in shape. It may be a car that's made no more, (Oldsmobile Alero), but I love her. Goldie is her name.