Museum of Me: July 2023
Hello and welcome to a new exhibit in the Museum of Me. This month, the curators have asked us to put together a soundtrack for a day in my life.
Sounds easy enough, right? I mean, music plays a pretty big role in my life. I’ve always listened to music, from the stuff my parents listened to on our stereo at home (it was a big piece of furniture in our living room with speakers that also played in our kitchen) to 8 tracks in the car to my own little record player in my bedroom. I got my own stereo system as a gift for my 12th birthday and have been playing my own favorites ever since. It’s an . . . eclectic . . . blend, with plenty of oldies and standards, a smattering of country, lots of folk and even some classical.
All of which is to say that I don’t really have a soundtrack for a day in my life. But I do have several playlists on Spotify to address the . . . moods of my life. My page is here and I’ve got several public playlists and I encourage you to take a look if you’re so inclined. As a tutorial, I will tell you that Carole’s Favorites is (you may have already guess this) my favorites right now. It changes frequently as songs fall in and out of favor or feel more (or less) relevant in my life. Current Favorites is the list of songs that Dale and I listen to most. There are also themed playlists like Camping, Maine!, Nashville Cats and more.
You wouldn’t think that sharing my playlists would trigger feelings of vulnerability . . . but it does. Beause, really, the music we listen to reveals a lot about us. It’s not just about our taste in music, it’s about our hopes and dreams, our personalities, our empathy, and more. I’d love to hear what you think about some of my musical choices and whether or not you find the music I love to reflect to who you think I am.
That’s for coming to this month’s exhibit. I hope you’ve enjoyed it.
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I’ve been sharing music with friends for as long as I can remember . . . and I’ve never felt vulnerability about it. At all. So. While I thank you for sharing your playlists, Carole, I REALLY thank you for sharing that it triggers vulnerability for you. That’s important for me to remember: Just because something is “easy” for me to share . . . it doesn’t mean it’s easy for someone else! XOXO
There’s no need to feel any trepidation about sharing music with me! TBH, I rarely listen to music, and if there is something in my ears it’s usually an audiobook, so I’m not going to judge anyone’s taste in music. I do love The Decemberists, Adele, and Paul Simon, so your favorites look pretty good to me!
Oh wow! You’ve put together some really fun playlists Carole and THANK YOU for sharing. I will be playing and listening to them! One of the things I love about people sharing music is re-discovering so many tunes that I have forgotten about. (That happened with the summer list that Kym put together too.) As Bonny said, no need to feel trepidation with sharing your music with me.
I am feeling much the same as Kym… thank you for sharing that music is an intimate part of a person… and sharing can be scary. I like music… but it is not a huge part of my day. Like Bonny, *usually* if I am listening to something it is an audiobook. But, Kym recently shared that she listens to music when she is creating… and I found this to be the most delightful way to spark my own creativity.
Thank you also for sharing your playlists… we have lots of similar music! XOXO
Music is and always has been a big part of my life. I love all types too. I’m still not receiving your blogposts in my email, I don’t understand why they just stopped . Is there a way I can subscribe again?
Thank you for embracing that vulnerability and sharing your musical choices with us! I know that the music we choose to listen to can say a lot about us, but I also think it changes so much according to our mood, the setting, the time of day or year, etc., that I don’t think we can necessarily read any big things about us in what we listen to. What I get from your lists is that you like listening to a wide variety of things and that you have music that you feel is suited to particular settings.
I’ve always loved how much you and Dale share music; I can tell it’s part of your lives in a beautiful way and it’s cool that it’s something you do together. I pretty much only listen to playlists made by other people (current favorites include one from a homegoods shop I visited in Thomasville back in April, Coastal Grandma, and one that Brendan Slocumb compiled for his Violin Conspiracy novel). I just added your Camping playlist to my library; thank you for all that eclectic goodness – I mean Tina Turner, Styx, Van Morrison, and Taylor Swift all together … sounds like a party!
I think I understand what you mean, Carole. Songs and poetry have this incredible way of condensing intense emotion down into a bare minimum of words — ones that we can cling to and ones that it feels like could allow others to see into the deepest, most raw parts of our souls. It’s why making mix tapes or playlists for another person is such an intimate gift.
In exchange, I will offer you this verse from Dar Williams’ “February,” which most certainly reveals more about me than I’d wish it to:
“And February was so long that it lasted into March
And found us walking a path alone together.
You stopped and pointed and you said, ‘That’s a crocus,’
And I said, ‘What’s a crocus?’ and you said, ‘It’s a flower,’
I tried to remember, but I said, ‘What’s a flower?’
You said, ‘I still love you.'”