Nudged: Listen to new-to-me music

I rarely listen to music, and when I do, it’s usually background music while I cook—and it’s usually from a small selection of CDs that live on the kitchen counter. I gotta break out of this rut!

I am inspired by the example my friend Arturo set for me many years ago. He had actual albums featuring jazz and classical musicians. He would put one on the actual turntable, settle into a big chair, sip a cognac, and listen—really listen. How cool is that?

We have access to great music from CDs and downloads from our public libraries, to stations for multiple genres on our smart TVs. Or maybe this is the week we switch stations when listening to the radio in the car. (Do people still listen to the radio?)

Let’s mix things up!

What Happened: I didn’t follow this Nudge to the letter. No trip to the library, no scrolling through online sources. Instead, I noticed the box of old cassette tapes I’ve been meaning to declutter. Cassette tapes. Music from the ’80s and beyond! Not “new-to-me,” but long-neglected. Peter, Paul & Mary. George Winston. The Surfaris! “WIPEOUT!”

I dusted off the old player, popped in Phil Collins’s No Jacket Required, and turned the volume up. Had myself a dance party while I folded and put away laundry, and it was so RAD! (What is a “su-su-ssudio” btw?)

The Ah-Hahs: This was hardly the classy and sophisticated experience I was planning, but this Nudge was so much fun. It reminded me to devote a little more time to something so basic and important:

P.S. In a perfect example of manifesting, this week my friend Jefferson Denim sent me the link to his new EP, Choose Your Own Adventure. I’ll be listening to it this weekend.