I recommend pandora.com, so this blog will simply explain how this site has changed my life. The idea behind this site is to introduce the listener to new music through internet radio. How it works is when you create an account and a station you enter in bands or musicians you like. So the play list is based on music you like and plays other music that is somehow similar. Just like google does it searches based on word algorithms, Pandora somehow cataloged music in a way that can come up with music you never heard of but may like based on your input. When you get accustomed to the site you can create different stations. For instance I have a separate station for hip hop when I feel in the mood to listen to that. Also the listener can skip songs or rate it thumbs up or down. I recommend any music aficionado to sign up an account.
Pandora.com has not changed my life, but it has affected my writing quite a bit in the past year. Before my apartment had internet, and when I wrote with more serious intent I had a routine. That would be to write out a first draft of anything by hand. Then I would type it out, and end by revising it a few times. That process made some of my works get on online sites, and I got some nicely worded rejection letters. I think to write serious multiple revisions are necessary. But in the past year, this blog has made me lighten up a little bit. My revision consists of scanning for typos and then simply posting it. But I’ve written a little more regularly than my pre-blog days, so maybe with that fact alone I’ve improved.
My routine now, and has been for a few months at least is to put on my headphones and put on my Pandora.com stations. A lot of times my roommate goes to sleep before I do, and even if he watches television I can usually drain out all other noise with the music. I notice I could never concentrate reading with music on, but somehow with writing I find it helps my concentration. Last night my friend Josh came over and we figured out how to hook up the speakers to my computer. It’s kind of funny how I’ve had my computer for about four or five years now and I’ve never bothered to hook up the speakers. I think this will open up an entirely new chapter with my usage of pandora.com. I can use it when cooking and eating and more. But most of my use so far of this site has been with my writing on my blog. I like my routine, and will continue to write this way, now I’ll need to decide if I want to use the headphones or the speakers.
Lastly, about Pandora.com, I think this site is great for music. For adults you can enter in all the bands that you felt defined your stages of life. You can have a hair band of the 80’s station, a nineties alternative station, or whatever you want. So it can play all the things you like and introduce you to bands you haven’t heard of. Also the one I play the most that I labeled ‘Matt’s Radio’ seems to play a range of dates. That makes since, if you liked New Order in late 80’s, chances are they is a more current band that plays similar music. I consider myself somewhat versed in music. I’ve always followed music, but I never obsessed over it by reading Rolling Stone or internet music news. My tastes are slightly below the mainstream and the mainstream, but not eclectic. For my level of musical knowledge this site is great because I recognize some tunes and others I check to see what it is. I think for people without musical knowledge this site would be great, but perhaps difficult at the initial stage since bands need to be entered. I think people with a lot of musical knowledge have to be aware of this site, it may eventually change the habits of the musical consumer.
Next up for my music experience, I’m going to get an I-pod. I held out for so long, I think I could get one cheaply and have fun with picking out music for the device.
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