Oh,Oh, Oh,Listen to the Music

What kinds of music do we listen to doing different activities?

Although I will often put on a podcast of a story, an interview or a bookreading/discussion while I am cleaning, cooking , doing paper or handiwork, music is my usual choice.
Since my husband was injured and has been off work now for the last two months, we’ve been movie and TV-series binge-watching and it isn’t much different from our previous discussion on 4F,1H, “Marathoning and Multitasking”[Nov.8, 2013]. But when I am alone or we are doing separate activities and I have part of the house or the computer to myself, the music comes back on.

I like some country, but more of what we once called ‘cross-over country’, light country that could go either ‘rock’ or ‘easy listening’, (later Ray Price, Marty Robbins, Eddy Arnold). By the way, whatever happened to ‘easy listening’ and ‘pop’? There is no way to hear 1940s-50s-60s singers, (Frank Sinatra, Vaughn Monroe, Charles Aznavour), or songs from musicals without satellite radio or buying CDs.

I will put on CDs at times. If I have the time and inclination, I’ll pull music up on YouTube, but then I get little done, as one song reminds me of another or of another artist and I sit there looking to the side to see songs and singers that I had not remembered. But sometimes, I can find a whole album online.

Driving in the car, I’ll usually play the local ‘oldies’ station. If I’m alone or with my husband we’ll put it on, or we’ll put on the classical station, but we don’t always agree on what to hear. He likes heavy choral music and chamber music; I don’t. I like opera; he doesn’t. I can take more ‘rock’ than he can, but he likes contemporary religious music more than I do. I enjoy some smooth jazz, but he likes blaring horns. Close, so close, but too often we ask each other if it can be changed. Since the best music that I can find that is generally consistent with my taste and mood, (and my husband’s), the classic rock station is on most of the time. I am comfortable with it. When I am alone in the car, I sing along…(trust me; I have to be alone with the windows up or I disturb anyone around me). I think it helps with memory, coming up with the lyrics or singing background…that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

I like old hymns. A regional station starts playing Christmas music in October, and although I love to hear all of it, but it’ll be the day after Thanksgiving before you’ll find me Rocking Around the Christmas Tree or paying homage to the Little Town of Bethlehem while I drive, cook or deck my own halls.

I am comfortable enough with the oldies that I have it on when I am writing; in fact, ELO is playing behind me right now. I find it familiar. I have an older sister who was precocious and I was only two when Elvis hit the scene and changed everyone’s world…and she was just 17,(you know what I mean), when the British invasion hit.

I will try other music on occasion. I do like a lot of “folk music”, as in that of other countries. Recently someone sent me a link to what she considered a great album online of Celtic music,(which I generally enjoy). However, I put it on when I decided to practice some of my yoga postures and although you will never find me listening to sitar music, trust me, Irish music and yoga don’t mix!

I used to have an extensive record collection and now we have quite a few CDs. They range from nearly every type of music available.

Can you tell? I like music! And I’ll listen to it while I do just about everything.