June 18, 2003

Today is the day to mecca-lecca hi, mecca heiney-ho.

Rank: Ways of Listening to Music

1-Headphones in Bed.
This is my all time favorite way of listening to music, as without other visual, aural or much tactile stimulation, you're completely free to focus on the music. I prefer headphones to speakers because, again, you can totally focus, and you can hear sound nuances much better. Downsides: a.) I can't find the earphones that fit over my ears, so I probably am doing significant damage to myself by using the ones that go into your ears and b.) inevitably I wake up in the middle of the night tangled in the headphones and throw them on the floor along with the CD player, MP3 player, whatever, which probably explains why my various forms of Walkmen have such short lives.

2-Headphones on a Trip
There are some songs that remind me of certain countries, and not because they're at all ethnic. They're just the tunes that I was listening to on bus tours around Greece or Italy. This is a close second to Headphones in bed, because for some reason, scenery is much more beautiful and meaningful when you're listening to your favorite music. Maybe because your favorite music makes everything sound more meaningful (rain never had it so good until the Counting Crows came along, for instance…not that they're my favorites, but you know what I mean.) Plus, if you're touring with students on one of those big cruiser buses like I was, you have the added benefits of comfort and not having to listen to your fellow students whine about how they're hung over and don't wanna go to the Vatican or what have you. Downsides: You don't have enough music to provide diversity and for the rest of your life, you associate the Eternal City with Duran Duran.

3-Singing in the Car
This is lots of fun because driving makes music more fun (it's the thrill of moving fast without having to do anything) and music makes driving more fun. If you have a good stereo system, it sounds great, and, usually, you can roll up the windows and sing to your heart's delight. I'm usually sort of hoarse after a long car trip by myself. Also, for some reason, I'm a really great singer in the car, but not so good outside it. Downside: Somebody might actually see you singing.

4- Walking Around
This is good because it can make your trip, whether you're walking to the train or the dry cleaners or on the treadmill, go by more quickly. You can pretend you're at a great club and you're the best dancer in there. You just have to be sure to dance in your head. Downside: You could always run out of batteries, and then you just feel like taking a cab home.

5- Jukebox
Excellent. The whole appeal of the jukebox is that you're forcing strangers to listen to your music. Downsides: It's overpriced, plus, as I discovered, there is always a chance that your songs will be cut off for the bar's closing time song, like, oh, say, "Sweet Home Alabama."

6- In a Taxi
For some reason, hearing a fun song while you're riding in a cab makes the ride better than any limo trip you've ever taken. Downside: Cabs be stank.

7- Random radio/cd player
Eh. It's fine for listening, but not so great for enjoying. Downside: It's played.

8-At a Concert
I don't know about you, but I hardly ever go to concerts to listen to music. I mostly go when I'm obsessed with a group and want to see them in the flesh. Aside from maybe a festival or an outdoor performances, I think concerts are a pretty crappy way to listen to music most of the time. The sound is loud and distorted, the playing isn't as accurate, people are shoving you, it's hot, drinks are too expensive, and beware the dreaded 'jam,' wherein inevitably the guitarist will bestow upon you a 15 minute solo in an otherwise mediocre song. Downside: the girl in front of you with the big hair that swings in your face who enthusiastically sings badly and 'acts out' the songs.

9- Coming From Somebody Else's Car
This is only fun if it's a good song or it's the same song as the one you're listening to, in which case it can be a delight. Downside: You get kind of scared for no good reason.

10- In Your Head
Everyone knows this is what drove Vincent Van Gogh to cut off his own ear. Downside: Insanity.