What I'm Listening To

I don’t really buy CDs, except for classical or choral music. That’s because I don’t usually enjoy sitting down and listening to an entire CD of one particular artist. I just get bored, or sick of the music. In fact, even radio stations tend to annoy me after long periods of time. Or sometimes very short periods of time. I'm not a music snob - I do like a good number of "radio songs". After all, I don't necessarily want to clean house to Mahler's 1st Symphony or run in time with Appalachian Spring or belt out MoTab in the car when I'm in a good mood (and all by myself). Well, not usually. There's just not a station that plays only the type of music I like, and I don't really see a point of listening to something I don't really want to hear.

Since I discovered iTunes, I have significantly diversified my music collection. Classical music still takes up more room on my iPod than any other genre, but the individual songs are adding up, especially after a winter on the treadmill when I needed something good for running too, and I've managed to "discover" several songs and artists just by listening to the little 30-second clips. My sister, in fact, no longer groans when I pull out my music on a car trip. In fact, she is flying out to New York this summer just so I'll come pick her up and take her back to Michigan and let her listen to my music collection in the car for seven hours. (Okay, that's not the only reason. But that was the inspiration for the trip. Or for the Michigan part of the trip.) My family is slowly coming to realize that I do have some "cool" music tastes, and they don't make fun of me quite as often as they used to. Now, I am selective about which playlists I share with which family members. If, for example, my brother saw what I listen to with my sister he might very well disown me, but when I'm in the car with him I avoid the more embarassing selections.

Alas, I don't know that I will ever fully redeem myself with my family, because the truth is I do occasionally clean house to Ottorini Respighi and sing along with the BYU combined choirs, and when they get in the car after I've been driving they're a lot more likely to find the radio tuned to KUSC Classical or even (gulp) country, than to a pop or rock or classic rock station.

With that said, I have made two discoveries this month that are neither classical nor country and which, I hope, will prove to you that my tastes are at least bordering on "cool" if not actually there yet.

Norah Jones
Actually, I’ve never once downloaded a Norah Jones song off of iTunes, although I listened to a dozen or so 30-second clips before I went out and bought the CD. Her voice is amazing, the music is mellow (in a good way), and the lyrics are interesting (lyrics can really ruin a boring song). I can actually listen to whole CD all the way through. Just once. But that's not her fault, it's mine.

Jars of Clay
Okay, everyone already likes "Flood." But after downloading their contribution to the Music Inspired by The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe CD I decided to explore some of their newer music, and though I've enjoyed most of what I've found, my favorites have been their reworkings of old hymns - "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand," "I'll Fly Away," "It Is Well With My Soul," and, especially, "What Wond'rous Love." This was yet another "worth buying the whole CD" discovery.

And then, of course, there's free Mendelssohn CD I'm anxiously awaiting from BMG, and the Bartok that my carpool friend lent me, and the Shostakovich symphony I attended, and the three Totally Country CDs (yes I own all three, but to my credit I only actually purchased one of them) I used to compile a country playlist for my treadmill running. And the Disney songs. And Veggie Tales. And Michael Bublé. And Phil Collins. And the soundtrack to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Those get no pictures, but if I'm writing about what I'm listening to right now, I'd feel as though I wasn't being completely honest by leaving them all off.

Please still think I'm cool.