Music
In 2013, I knew I wanted more music in my life, but I wasn't sure how. So I tried a few small things.
In the car (when I remember), I've been listening to music radio stations (for example, CBC Radio 2 vs. Radio 1) more often. And on occasion, I've driven in silence! But that's another post.
This fall, on an evening trip home from somewhere, I caught part of Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap program. (Yes, THAT Randy Bachman.) He was talking about (and playing) one-hit wonders, and hearing a bunch from the 1970s and 1980s took me right back. It was extremely conducive to reflecting on who I was back then and (most important) why on earth did I believe that what happened at the time was so important?
Since then, I've tried to be a little more intentional about listening to Bachman's Vinyl Tap. I enjoy the themes: songwriters, for example, or sax solos. It's engaging to *listen* to instead of simply experiencing it as background noise. I highly recommend the show, which plays at many scheduled times, and the site has some archived programs. So does this site.
But background music has its place, too. Over the years, I've uploaded a lot of stuff into iTunes, and recently I've made new playlists and have had them on while working. It's amazing how I can feel a surge in positive energy when something upbeat comes on.
Even these small steps have made a big difference in my enjoyment of whatever it is I'm doing--and, wonder of wonders, adding in some music occasionally hasn't required a HUGE RESOLUTION or DISCIPLINE or anything else that smacks of BIG PROJECT. Something I tend to forget about, in relation to many things!
Oops, gotta go sing along with Etta James on "At Last."
In the car (when I remember), I've been listening to music radio stations (for example, CBC Radio 2 vs. Radio 1) more often. And on occasion, I've driven in silence! But that's another post.
This fall, on an evening trip home from somewhere, I caught part of Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap program. (Yes, THAT Randy Bachman.) He was talking about (and playing) one-hit wonders, and hearing a bunch from the 1970s and 1980s took me right back. It was extremely conducive to reflecting on who I was back then and (most important) why on earth did I believe that what happened at the time was so important?
Since then, I've tried to be a little more intentional about listening to Bachman's Vinyl Tap. I enjoy the themes: songwriters, for example, or sax solos. It's engaging to *listen* to instead of simply experiencing it as background noise. I highly recommend the show, which plays at many scheduled times, and the site has some archived programs. So does this site.
But background music has its place, too. Over the years, I've uploaded a lot of stuff into iTunes, and recently I've made new playlists and have had them on while working. It's amazing how I can feel a surge in positive energy when something upbeat comes on.
Even these small steps have made a big difference in my enjoyment of whatever it is I'm doing--and, wonder of wonders, adding in some music occasionally hasn't required a HUGE RESOLUTION or DISCIPLINE or anything else that smacks of BIG PROJECT. Something I tend to forget about, in relation to many things!
Oops, gotta go sing along with Etta James on "At Last."