Question:
Now, to the homework. What kind of music does your character like? Does he or she like different kinds of music in different circumstances?Answer:
I was never all that into music as a kid. I mean I listened to pop, but I didn't really care about it all that much. I got a bit more into techno and hard rock while I was fighting in the arenas, but the stuff that is popular in that circuit is mostly local since not a lot of people can afford stuff from north America. I ran into a few audio pirates, but even they only had spotty access to new stuff. Since I've been living in north America I've become a bit more fond of the current crop of techno groups and some ambient. I usually only listen to music while I'm at home though. I don't like to listen to music in public because it stops me from paying attention to what's going on around me. Well that and I ride a motorcycle, which means I need to know what's happening when I'm driving or I risk getting killed. I know I could just let the machine pilot itself, but I just don't feel terribly comfortable trusting it to recognize all possible dangerous situations. I'm pretty sure there are a host of things a shadowrunner can get into that standard piloting software is not going to anticipate.
I should probably point out that music in Amazonia is mostly played by old school speakers and headphones. Not a lot of people have the money for commlinks and newer ear-buds. A lot of middle class folks still own small digital music players, many of them somewhat antique. There was a big fad for them about 20 years ago that never really died off. That's part of why I found that club in Salem so hilarious. Everyone was freaking out about how "new and hip" it was, but if you went to cheap night club in Sao Paulo that's what you'd find. Well the hardware would be older and sadder, but you get the idea. It was a big deal when the higher class clubs in Sao Paulo and Rio started moving to AR when I was a kid.