Music to My Ears

"Music is the color of sound." ~ Author unknown
    
It's been nine years since I last thought to write about music. I'm no musician or singer. I am a listener. Over the years music's importance in my day-to-day life has shifted to allow time for stuff I've unintentionally prioritized. When in all actuality, it makes for an exceptional partner with so many of those things. Why do I forget to let it accompany me in more situations these days? This may be an unpopular thing to say but it's a personal observation as someone who is of a certain age. I've noticed as I have aged into my senior years that I don't process oral output well. Whether it's someone speaking to me, watching something with speaking, or listening to an audiobook. Music though, there's this whole auditory reward beyond any words. If we let it, can't it color our lives with its sound? I vow to spend more time with my "music to my ears."

How do you enjoy your music? Radio? Videos? Satellite stations? Concerts? Your own physical or digital music library? I went from being a child of radio with 8-track tapes to a teenager of radio with vinyl to an adult with cassettes followed by CDs and occasional concerts to a mature listener with solely a digital library. Since my last music update in 2013, I've acquired over 1,000 "new" songs! I hadn't expected my tally to be that many, but the evidence is in my iTunes Library. I can see it, and more importantly, I can hear it.

There are too many to list here; and being too obsessive for my own good, I have made a spreadsheet. I invite you to check out the spreadsheet via the link below the following image and my The Music I Listen to Page. Music is a universal language, so let's discuss it.
 

Virginia's Music: Songs Added 03/2013 through 07/2022
 


Comments

Margaret Hill said…
Wow! That’s a lotta music—more than all my music library contents, including Christmas songs. But, then, I’m probably not average in that regard. ;) We have a small number of mutual songs, but I don’t even recognize most of the artist names in your list! Firstly, you have way more eclectic tastes in music than I do. Secondly, I’ve not been able to listen much to music for many years since my traffic collision-caused brain injury in November 1998. I haven’t been able to become familiar with the newer artists and songs since then, except for a few that you recommended to me that I liked. I’ve oh so gradually been able to listen for longer periods of time, but only if it’s otherwise quiet around me, the music isn’t loud, and I’m not doing anything else at the same time. Otherwise, it irritates my nervous system increasingly until I am compelled to stop. My brain just can’t process that much sensory input at one time. I used to enjoy listening to the radio and music a lot before that, even while I was driving. Oddly enough, I can watch movies and TV shows if they aren’t too loud, but I need to read the captions or else I miss a lot of what’s going on, even though I’m wearing my hearing aids. If I could do other things while listening to music, that would help a lot, I think. I’ve adjusted a huge amount since the early days, though, and am basically just glad to be alive, able to function as well as I do, and am easily able to find lots of simple things that bring me happiness. :)
Virginia Hill said…
We DO have a few artists in common and I've been able to introduce you to a few through the years. And YOU have reminded me of some songs from our past that I'm happy to have added. Hmm, like Hawaiian Eyes! That song was such a HUGE deal when we went to Hawaii a million years ago. And when I mentioned "Hooked on a Feeling" the other day, we both ended up having the Blue Swede cover and NOT B.J. Thomas's. I think you have some Boz Scaggs. Maybe Gerry Rafferty? I KNOW you have ONE Hozier song: Take Me To Church! I think you may have ONE song by The Lumineers that I told you about or bought for you: Ho Hey. Oh, and I'm pretty sure you have ONE Pearl Jam song because I bought it for you: Just Breathe! I've got my music playing quietly enough that you don't notice it when we're together. I don't wanna irritate your nervous system or anything. :)

Thank you SO much for your comment!
Margaret Hill said…
Yes, Virginia, you are correct in all but one of the details you mentioned:
Hawaiian Eyes
Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede
Boz Skaggs: Lowdown, Lido Shuffle, We’re All Alone, Look What You’ve Done To Me
Gerry Rafferty: Baker Street, Right Down the Line
Hozier: Take Me To Church
The Lumineers: [Oops. None from them.]
Pearl Jam: Just Breathe

Also these artists are in common but not necessarily all the songs I list here:
Alex Clare: Too Close
Danny Elfman: Mission Impossible (Main Title Theme)
Electric Light Orchestra: Don’t Bring Me Down
Emmylou Harris: Light of the Stable [Christmas song]
Jackson Browne: Running on Empty
John Denver: Rocky Mountain High, Annie’s Song, Calypso, Sunshine on My Shoulders
Michael Bublé: Everything
Pharrell Williams: Happy (from Despicable Me)
Queen: You’re My Best Friend
Ro.L: California Dereaming
Survivor: Eye of the Tiger, The Search Is Over
The Rolling Stones: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
The Who: Who Are You

Of course, you have a lot more music from earlier that we also match on.
Amy L said…
I love how organized you are!

Well, I have a lot of favorites and we do have some overlap. I am a fan of classic rock, 80s stuff, and classical. Among others. I have a few CDs, but for a long time we didn’t have internet so we don’t have everything in electronic form. And have no way to play CDs right now. So I keep them, but… idk if they’re just taking up space or what.

Some of my favorites are: Anna Nalick, Queen, Foo Fighters, George Michael, Prince, Sarah MacLachlan, The Cure, Led Zeppelin, old Sinead O’Connor, old Smiths, Depeche Mode, Counting Crows…

I rarely listen to music anymore, mainly because I don’t like randomness and I can’t play CDs. It makes me sad. I guess I need to buy electronic versions of everything and just let the CDs go.

Amy L

Virginia Hill said…
Hi Amy, thanks for sharing! I hope you checked the box to email any follow-up comments.

I'm curious about a few things. I don't know for sure, but for some reason, I think you use an iPhone. Do you? If yes, do you also have a computer? Desktop or laptop? If you have a desktop you have a built-in CD/DVD drive. If you have a laptop computer, does it have a CD/DVD drive? If not, it all may hinge on how MANY CDs you have and want the music from. If you have a lot of music, it would be less expensive to buy an external CD/DVD drive to use with your laptop than to buy digital music. If you DO have a Windows laptop you can download iTunes for free from the Microsoft Store. Then you can "rip" your CDs into iTunes and then sync your iPhone with your computer. You will then have ALL of the music from your CDs on your computer AND your phone! It was many years ago that I did this but would like to help you to be able to enjoy your music. Here is that article: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-copy-a-music-cd-to-itunes-2438865

Thanks again for your comment!
Amy L said…
Thanks for the reply Virginia!

I used to have my stuff in iTunes, but back then they only backed up your purchases, not what you put in there from your CDs. So I somehow lost everything when we moved and didn’t have any internet at all.

I have a Chromebook and my job gives me a regular laptop but I don’t think they have CD drives. I’ll have to check

Maybe an external drive is what I need.

I do have an iPhone. I am not sure what my old Apple ID is. I may have a new one since I got this phone in 2020? Not sure. I’m not very techy. LOL

Thanks for the hints! I need to get it figured out!

Amy L
Cyn said…
Oooh here's an entry with some titles! Yay, will definitely check some of these out! Kisses to you!