"I'll Listen to Anything At Least Once!"

If I were to take you along in my car for a little trip, I would most likely offer you my booklet of cd's to choose from. Maybe you would be shy and say, "Oh, it's ok. You can put on whatever you want to listen to;" in which case, I would urge you to go ahead and pick. Obviously if it is in there, I like it! I almost guarantee you can find something you would enjoy. I have contrasting artists from Rihanna to Shania Twain, Eminem to Frank Sinatra, Bullet for My Valentine to Casting Crowns, Aerosmith to Backstreet Boys, Dizmas to Doris Day, Phantom of the Opera to Disney hits, Usher to George Strait, Lady Antebellum to Evanescence, Pussycat Dolls to Dixie Chicks, etc. I imagine you get the picture. If nothing peaked your interest, I still would not mind any suggestions. I am considered a "flexible listener". I enjoy such a variety that I'm difficult to disappoint. I have a few friends and coworkers that put together various collections of their work for me to listen to. I enjoy the contrast!

My musical collection changes each time I experience a personal change. Typically, my tastes will change depending on my current mood. However, certain events in my life have introduced new artist, as well as new genres altogether.

When I was in elementary school, my favorite music to listen to was country. You could always find my radio tuned to 103.1 KTPI (our local country radio station at the time). As I have said in my previous blog, I was a huge fan of Shania Twain. I know she is considered "pop country", but she was still played on the station nonetheless. Next to Twain's albums, I would store artists, such as Faith Hill, Dixie Chicks, Garth Brooks, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, and so on.

In third grade, when I began to play the violin, I was introduced to classical music. I found this style inspiring as a new musician. I thought Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart were pure geniuses. My elementary years also held my crushes on the Backstreet Boys and 'NSync. These were influences from my friends at the time. This was also about the time that we all wanted to be a Spice Girl.

Up until high school, I maintained the same interests as before with an occasional addition. Any new additions, including Story of the Year, Yellowcard, Relient K, and Avril Lavigne, were usually due to friends sharing their collections with me. With high school came new major experiences. I became actively involved in our school's drama program and I began to pull soundtracks for various musicals off of the shelves. For every play I participated in, I owned the soundtrack. Not only was I rehearsing, but I genuinely enjoyed the music. My Fair Lady and Phantom of the Opera were among my favorites. I could listen to those for hours at a time. Also, I attended more parties where music by Usher, Fergie, Pussycat Dolls, and Beyonce' was popular. I am more than positive that their music was popular way before I became a listener, but I was a bit slow at discovering a feel for this genre. Now it is one of my favorites! My collection made room for R&B, hip hop, and rap and my radio station of choice changed to KIIS FM. All of my friends listened to this, as well. I also became involved in relationships and therefore the mushy romantics often rang from my speakers. With relationships, however, comes breakups. After one breakup in particular, my friend made me a mixed album called "Boys Suck". It included songs like "To The Left" by Beyonce, showing me that I did not need a man to make me happy.

Since graduation, my music interests have continued to expand and consume more artists. I welcome new additions with open arms. I have had two children since graduation and a vast part of my listening is tuned to Disney hits, nursery rhymes, and Baby Einstein lullabies. However, last week, I had Katy Perry or PINK (two of my ultimate favorite artists) playing in my minivan, but this week, I am enjoying a mix of Frank Sinatra and Doris Day. I may just be in the mood for a little Norah Jones tomorrow. Who knows?

My musical life has seen pattern of additions as new events occur and different chapters of my life unfold. I find it exciting to be introduced to new artists and styles and I can hardly wait to see what is in store for my collection in the future!