Music. Oh how I love music. But I’ve been away from the music scene for a while now. I didn’t plan for it, it just naturally happened. Eventually I wasn’t paying attention to what concerts were going to be where. I stopped listening to the radio. My beloved Blender magazine went capoot. And the rest is history. Or is it?
I am notorious for writing down random playlists in my journals. It usually starts when I hear one song that makes me think of another song, and so I write them down and pair them together. Eventually the list grows and before I know it, voila, a new mix cd. I like to take my time because making a playlist is serious business to me. Anyone can throw crap together and say it’s one. But to make it flow, to make it cohesive - that takes time. When you rush to compile one, it almost always turns out blah.
Recently I’ve been taking random time here and there to start downloading my current cds to my very large external hard drive. So far I have about 40 days worth of music stored, but that isn’t even a quarter of my collection. Yes, I’m one of those people who still buys cds. I try my hardest not to download. It’s just not the same. I have all my cds in giant binders, alphabetically by artist, and the booklets are stored above, while the cd is below. Anyways, while downloading some music I decided I was finally going to get around to finishing a list I had been working on (off and on) for the last year. I was close to having it finished, but I just needed a few more songs to really pull it together. Well, I finished it on Sunday. I was quite pleased with it. It also made me realize that I need to get back into the game.
Let me clarify. When I say I have been away from the music scene and that I need to get back into the game… it doesn’t mean that I ever worked in the music industry. I am not in a band, nor do I have the talent to be in one. I just mean that I miss knowing who the latest and greatest artists are. I like turning on the radio and knowing who I’m listening to before they tell me. I like knowing the random indie band that no one has heard of. When you come across a band that isn’t mainstream it’s like having this great secret present. On the one hand you want to share the music with everyone because you think its so great, but on the other hand you don’t because then it’s no longer just yours. You want to see the person/band succeed, but you also want to enjoy the fact that you have this secret, wonderful band and it’s all yours. Ridiculous? Maybe. But I miss those days.
I’m not a music snob though. I can’t stand it when someone goes on and on about obscure bands that no one has heard of. Yes, some obscure bands are those hidden gems. But there are a lot of obscure bands that are like that for a reason. It’s not just because they “haven’t been discovered” yet. It’s because they suck. I’m not going to like music because no one has heard it. I’m going to like it because I like how it sounds. Just like I’m going to like some crappy music just because it makes me happy. I know that my music collection is extremely eclectic. And I’m not going to lie and say I don’t have some albums that would make some people cringe. (Think Hanson albums you didn’t know existed or the last NKOTB). I like what I like. I like having options as to what my ears hear, just like I like having options as to the clothes I put on my body.
With that all being said… I’m going to start paying attention more to music. I’m going to attempt to listen to the radio more. I might even dabble on some websites and see if I can find a new cool band to add to my collection. Music is part of what feeds my soul. Time to find my soul some new food.
