What'cha Listenin' To?

Music has always been a big love in my life. As a kid, I was "forced" into learning the piano (all these years later, I realize it wasn't being forced and that I wish I had paid more attention). I have always found the craft of it, so intriguing, and have rarely gone a day without listening to it on the radio, in my ipod, or via the internet. So it stand without reason that out here in CA, one of the biggest things that has helped ease my stress level in the car in traffic, at work when I am trying to concentrate on something, or running, has been jamming out to some tunes.

Rather than bring the hundreds of CDs I have, mostly scratched too :( , out with me to Cali, I opted to bring only a few favs, and start downloading the rest off of iTunes (which I really haven't started doing yet). But for times at work, I have found a good site thanks to my friend Bill that allows me to make my "own playlist", not using iTunes on my work computer to jam out, for free. A site called Seeqpod, allows you to search for you tube videos, hooks you up to wiki entries, and allows me to pick some of my favorite songs and throw into my own mini playlist and listen to at work, like a search engine for my listening pleasure. Much easier than carting around all 500+ CDs I have.

Today, my ears were soothed by the Beatles. (I think I craved hearing the songs by the REAL stars, not the goofy American Idol versions, after watching Idol with Doug the other night). It reminded me of the fact that some of my very early listening joys were listen to old Beatles records my mom had from when she was a kid (yes, I am proud to say I listened to records as a kid! :) I appreciated Mom's old 45 collection. Songs that would later be known as "classic oldies" were my first entry into music appreciation. To this day I slightly miss the scratched out skipping from those records. And mom had an awesome collection. Much better than my dad's hodge podge of 33s. :)

Songs take me back to many different times, places and people that have captured moments in my life. Chances are if you are friend or family member reading this blog now, I have a song (or two, or ten) that remind me of that one time..'when we did', when 'went here to...' and so on. I even thought about creating a California playlist for the move out here, so I could have songs about California blaring on my nano as we took off from DIA (don't worry..I ran out of time for that cheesiness to kick in). But I find it amazing how calming music of our past can affect me. For this reason making a play list on my ipod has changed the whole way I organize my music. I mean gone are the days of a cool mixed tape from Jess (oddly the only one who NEVER really appreciated the power of a good mix was Doug :D) I have playlists for my workouts/runs, playlists that remind me of specific friends, playlists for specific moods. And in typical Jess fashion, like my old mixed tapes they have goofy names (My workout one is appropriately titled, 'Get Rid of the Fatty' :D

So the next time you hear "Don't Stop Believing", or "Yesterday", or any of the other countless songs that are out there, stop to think for a minute why that song means a lot to you, and who it reminds you of, what place it brings back in your mind. Chances are, maybe it reminds ME of you!