This goes into the obvious file, but I’ve just got to say that the emergence of digital music is absolutely incredible. I’m currently on a 6 hour flight from SJC -> JFK, and I’ve been working on my laptop and listening to music the whole way. [Quick aside: I’ve been flying a bunch of different airlines this year, but have to say that American is hands down my happiest situation – more leg room, power outlets in the seats, and gold status will get me exit row seats, which helps a LOT.]
Anyway, so I’ve just put my whole music collection on shuffle and have been listening to a bunch of different things. The idea that I could have every song that I own with me all the time is just wacky. And it turns out that between my laptop and my iPod, I’ve actually got two copies of every song that I own (and a few that I don’t).
On every single trip I’ve been on with my iPod, I end up listening to songs I haven’t heard in years – and always listen to one or two a few times, because they really speak to me. For example, a couple of trips ago, I ended up listening to British Band music by Holst & Vaughn Williams. The last time that I really listened to that stuff was in high school, when our band played a bunch of it – but it all came back to me. Actually, “came back to me” isn’t quite the right way to phrase it – I think it’s all just inside me somewhere. The melodies and rhythms and beats all just felt super-natural to me – and it was pretty emotional to listen to, because it all brought back memories of a different time for me – I guess it was about 20 years ago now, in high school. The music hit me at a gut emotional, no memories level, but it also was fun to think about what life was like back then. How the complexities and responsibilities and joys were so different. It’s a little bit like the occasions when I drive around Austin late on summer nights – the hot, sticky air always reminds me of driving after football games in high school. Nice memories.
And a lot of times I’ll end up really listening to a song for the first time – the other day I listened to Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah about 10 times in a row. (You may remember it from The West Wing, from the season finale of Season 3, when Mark Harmon’s character gets killed.) I had always really liked the music, but for some reason on that day at that time, I just really paid attention to what he was doing with his voice, and the lyrics, and his guitar. I’m listening to a ton more music than I have in a really long time.
Like I said. Sublime.