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What’s on your playlist?
What’s on your playlist?

What’s on your playlist?

This week I got to thinking. Dangerous, I know. At Tim Russert’s memorial several days ago, they played music from his iPod. And I couldn’t help but wonder…did his wife or son just go through his iPod and pick something or did they pick something that was just “him?” What does someone’s playlist say about them?

My playlist would be pretty mute; I don’t have any playlists. I have a lot of music…hundreds of CDs, actually…and most of it isn’t on my iPod. Oh, my iPod certainly has enough room on it, but I’m afraid my laptop would give it up if I demanded that much room from it for music. So I mostly listen to podcasts on my iPod. And online radio on my computer.

At least, that’s my official story. The truth?

I’m skeered of iTunes. Yes, it’s user-friendly, and that’s the problem. If I started playing around with it, I’d never leave. I’d also be broke from the sheer amount of tunes I’d buy. (Well…maybe not. I don’t even know what music I like anymore. Seven years of kids’ music has deadened my musical taste buds.) I don’t think I’ve purchased any music from iTunes…free downloads, yes, but if I’ve bought anything, it’s less than five songs. And…this is so embarrassing, especially for a musician…I just don’t “get” playlists. (Excuse me, Jen, your age is showing. Time for you to go get your hair “set” in rollers and wear support hose. Oh, and your youth called…the teal polyester pants with the elastic waistband is on backorder, did you want the rose?). Do you set up several playlists for different times of day? How do you name them? Do you set the songs in order, or set them to play randomly? How do you decide what songs make the cut? Sniff…I’m just overwhelmed. And a dork. And that is a volatile mix. You just never know what’s going to blow or when. I honestly have no clue what songs are in my iTunes…I borrowed some CDs from a friend and every so often I’ll hear a song and wonder where I got that, ’cause I don’t think I’ve ever purchased a Poison CD.

So my playlist would confuse people…God knows it confuses me. Any thoughts as to where I can start?

My name is Jen…and I’m an iTunes failure…

10 Comments

  1. I have several playlists on my iPod:

    *Gym Grooves (for sweating on the elliptical trainer)

    *On the Go (for driving/biking around town)

    * Holiday Music (all my seasonal music in one place)

    *Madhubby’s List (his list that he listens to when driving around town)

    *Lizzie’s Summer Mix (my daughter’s party mix – she has a June birthday)

    I choose the songs for my playlists and set my iPod to randomly play them. When I get tired of a certain song or songs, I swap them out.

    I love iTunes! It really is user-friendly. You should give it a go because it makes life with an iPod so much more fun!

  2. Sadly, I cannot tell you about playlists either. I can tell you that I’ve downloaded a helluva lotta songs. And, being your musician compadre, I will also sadly share with you that most every one of them has something to do with rubber ducks or wheels on a bus. Oh! There was the one time I went all Hildegard von Bingen, but I can’t take it for more than a few minutes. Money down the tubes. And that is when I stopped.

  3. RC

    I haven’t really made playlists, except for one called “faves,” which includes the songs I’ve had to download, versus the gazillion songs I had on my CDs. They aren’t really my favorites, though, but I lacked creativity for a name at the time.

    Like you, my iPod is mostly used for the podcasts I download. It gives me something to listen to on my commute.

    And my music taste is to eclectic for anyone to really figure it out and play “me” at my funeral… Metallica to Billy Joel, Crystal Gayle to ACDC, and while you are at it, throw in some classical, blues & just a bit of hip-hop. And for gosh sakes, don’t forget the Sarah McLachlan, KT Tunstall & Alanis Morissette…

  4. Well said. I’ve started my first playlist only because my husband got me an IPOD. I see what a trap it could be for time. I mostly have to put it out of my mind because I don’t want any more reasons to be online.

    I’m curious about Tim Russet’s play list now.

    Came by way of Poetkat’s.

  5. Karin

    I have way too much music on my laptop – a lot of it from iTunes because I’m an iTunes junkie, but I really don’t do playlists. I just listen to whatever I’m in the mood for at the time which could be anything really!

  6. My Ipod was filled by my son, at my request. (This is one of those things where they get more helpful as they get older) The whole process of getting my Ipod to a place that makes me happy would be too much of a time suck and so it languishes with a single playlist –
    moms tunes
    That includes selections from VanHalen to Michael Bubble to Toby Keith. And a rogue song from the son by some group he loves…. Children of Bodom…..that makes my ears bleed.

  7. I have so many different playlists, and looking at them – they’re all the same! Of course I have one for A, one for Z and somehow I’ve ended up with 3 on-the-go’s. I need to work on this…

Whaddya think?

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