I'm going to start a project that takes advantage of last.fm, an online radio site which not only keeps track of the music you listen to (iPod and iTunes) but recommends music to you based on your tastes and allows you to listen to online radio stations like "Your Recommendations" or "Your Neighborhood" (you and everyone who has similar music tastes) or "Your Library" (restricted to tracks you play, nothing the site recommends). It's really cool. If you've heard of Pandora, it's something like that.
So. My project being that at the end of each week, I'll look at the track I listened to the most and then try and figure out why, and maybe what that means about my mood that week, and what I should change or not change to keep/change that mood. Some part of me thinks that I'll subconsciously try to listen to a certain track to have a foregone conclusion, but another part of me thinks I'll be so worried about homework and things that week that I won't think about it until Friday, when I have time to sit down and actually think. I might change this to most listened to artist or album after I see how this works out in a couple weeks.
So!
This week my most played track, at 7 plays for an average of 1 play per day, is:
She & Him - This is Not a Test.
( Lyrics )
Okay,so history of what I can remember of this track. The lovely Erin introduced me to She & Him, and I really liked them at first listen. After downloading them, they quickly became a staple on my playlists mainly because their music seems so ... honest. There is that quirk about certain indie music that is girly and cutesy but without making me sick. Especially with S&H, there is a sense that they are saying exactly what they mean, nothing more and nothing less, a very honest and straightforward and simple feel.
I think I listened to this a lot this week because I felt like I was being tested, as silly as that sounds. I was worried about KKY because of my interview last week, worried about certain classes, worried about my finances, just plain worried. Basically I'm turning into my father, who is the biggest worrywart I've ever met.
I feel like the song talks about people who keep trying and keep trying to reach some goal or accomplishment, but can't quite make it, and this song assures them that being at the top isn't much different from being at the (perceived) bottom, so they should look around and appreciate what they have. It also talks about "friends you've made" that might not be the best kind of friends, and that instead of trying to stay with those who are superficial, you can look back on a better time and appreciate that beauty, and find those friends who will always be there for you. I think of the line "let it go" not as a literal "letting go" of past beauty, but rather as a "letting it continue" sort of mindset.
Then of course the chorus, which assures me that it is not a test.
The last part of the song talks about thinking about trying very hard to continue on in life while still remembering the good times. "Think of all the children in the drifts of snow" and "winners never quit, but winters never end" make me think of how we keep striving for this notion of "I won", but if you look at children playing in the snow, it's not about winning for them. In fact, you can't really win against nature, because it will always have the upper hand.
So in conclusion, (wow this is longer than I thought; I guess I have a lot to say about my emotional state?) I think this track just helped me keep on keepin' on.
Until next week, this is my music entry.
Later.
P.S. All these will be public entries, so feel free to refer your friends. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
So. My project being that at the end of each week, I'll look at the track I listened to the most and then try and figure out why, and maybe what that means about my mood that week, and what I should change or not change to keep/change that mood. Some part of me thinks that I'll subconsciously try to listen to a certain track to have a foregone conclusion, but another part of me thinks I'll be so worried about homework and things that week that I won't think about it until Friday, when I have time to sit down and actually think. I might change this to most listened to artist or album after I see how this works out in a couple weeks.
So!
This week my most played track, at 7 plays for an average of 1 play per day, is:
She & Him - This is Not a Test.
( Lyrics )
Okay,so history of what I can remember of this track. The lovely Erin introduced me to She & Him, and I really liked them at first listen. After downloading them, they quickly became a staple on my playlists mainly because their music seems so ... honest. There is that quirk about certain indie music that is girly and cutesy but without making me sick. Especially with S&H, there is a sense that they are saying exactly what they mean, nothing more and nothing less, a very honest and straightforward and simple feel.
I think I listened to this a lot this week because I felt like I was being tested, as silly as that sounds. I was worried about KKY because of my interview last week, worried about certain classes, worried about my finances, just plain worried. Basically I'm turning into my father, who is the biggest worrywart I've ever met.
I feel like the song talks about people who keep trying and keep trying to reach some goal or accomplishment, but can't quite make it, and this song assures them that being at the top isn't much different from being at the (perceived) bottom, so they should look around and appreciate what they have. It also talks about "friends you've made" that might not be the best kind of friends, and that instead of trying to stay with those who are superficial, you can look back on a better time and appreciate that beauty, and find those friends who will always be there for you. I think of the line "let it go" not as a literal "letting go" of past beauty, but rather as a "letting it continue" sort of mindset.
Then of course the chorus, which assures me that it is not a test.
The last part of the song talks about thinking about trying very hard to continue on in life while still remembering the good times. "Think of all the children in the drifts of snow" and "winners never quit, but winters never end" make me think of how we keep striving for this notion of "I won", but if you look at children playing in the snow, it's not about winning for them. In fact, you can't really win against nature, because it will always have the upper hand.
So in conclusion, (wow this is longer than I thought; I guess I have a lot to say about my emotional state?) I think this track just helped me keep on keepin' on.
Until next week, this is my music entry.
Later.
P.S. All these will be public entries, so feel free to refer your friends. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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