The Joy Of Playlisting

Yes, let’s take a moment and talk about something else, anything else. Something that brings joy, or at least brings joy to me.  😉

It’s amazing that putting certain songs on a list, possibly putting them in a certain order, brings such a sense of happiness & accomplishment. And then sharing that with people takes it to a whole new place of wonder!

For those who don’t know, I used to be a Program Director/Music Director at several radio stations over my career. I LOVE MUSIC! I love sounds, I love lyrics, I love ones that make you move, and ones that make you cry!

And this world of “Playlisting” has been so much fun over the last 5 years or so. So you know, I prefer Spotify because the software is easy to use, and intuitive!

There are other services, and you may like ’em better, but this is the world I live in at the moment. I defected from Rhapsody about 3 years ago, clunky software made me leave. I was a VERY early adopter of streaming. And in Spotify you can make album covers for your playlist! Music nerd heaven!

I believe it’s an art. When you can’t sing, and you can’t play an instrument, this is the way you “speak” through music.

So here’s some ideas and some playlists I hope you like, and why I think you might like them!

The “Concert Pre-Game” Playlist!

Got a show coming to town? Getting excited for the “big night”? I always make a playlist for the show that I am “getting up for”. This one was one I put together for Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic 3 years ago. Willie, Merle, Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves, Jamey Johnson, David Allan Coe, Chris Stapleton, Kris Kristofferson, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, Asleep At The Wheel, Leon Russell! It was an amazing show, I come back and listen to this playlist at least once a month to “relive” that once in a lifetime show!

 

The “Theme” Playlist

I work in the music business, it can be pretty hard to explain to people what I do. What it’s like. What the people are like. What makes an artist tick. So I came up with a playlist, if you listened to it, you would have an idea what “the life” is like. All the good, all the bad, all the ups and all the downs. I call it “The Life”. (Don’t shuffle this one, every song I hand placed in order!)

 

The “Event” Playlist

Right now, the big event in our lives is the family reunion that’s happening at the end of the month. We celebrate our mom’s “big” birthdays by all of us getting together, usually on a body of water for a week. We are talking 20+ adults and children all in one lake house! This time I wanted a playlist that captured the “lake life” & “family celebration” and it had to appeal to a 15 year old, and a 47 year old and Grandma at 75! So the music spans 70 years, many genres and has a little something for everybody!

 

The “Mental State” Playlist

Sometimes you need music for your mind. A certain head space you are trying to create. Sometimes I need to get my “praise on” but don’t want to listen to Christian music. So I made a playlist of songs about God/Jesus or biblical themes.  We are talking Kesha, Eric Church, U2, Taylor Swift, Prince, Keith Urban and even Poison! I search these songs out in my everyday life, and when I hear one, it goes on this list! I call it “Secular Gospel”!

 

The “Creative” Playlist

I’m not normal, in case you couldn’t tell that already. Sometimes I just get this “bug”/”itch” to create something, something musical. So I will try to build a playlist to express an emotion, or a thought, or an “I wonder what” moment. This one I am very proud of. I just watched Pretty In Pink one day, and the way Duckie (my spirit animal) talked about music several times in the movie gave me this thought. “If he could make a playlist, what would it sound like?’ So, I made the playlist I thought he would make!

 

So, how do you “playlist”? Please leave me your thoughts or better yet some links to your favorite playlists! Would love to know what you think of these!

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