If at the end of my life I look back and lament work I did not finish, walls I did not paint, and hedges I did not trim, the number one explanation will surely be that I listened to too much music. I can live with that.

I have no idea if this will become a tradition, but I put together a Spotify playlist for this academic year. This list is fairly reflective of what I’ve been listening to lately. You’ll notice a wide variety of genres. There is everything from classical (Mozart, Boccherini, and more) to a snippet of old country (“King of the Road” by Roger Miller). There are heavy doses of big band and jazz, which is the music I return to the most, and a some pop and alternative rock. There are some odd songs that hit me in the right place, such as Slim Gaillard’s “Atomic Cocktail” or Camper Van Beethoven’s “Take the Skinheads Bowling.” Not everyone enjoys a ditty that makes light of nuclear war, but I do. My humor drifts toward the desert at night–it tends to be both dark and dry.

Also, I look at music as I look at any other form of art. “When I was Done Dying” by Dan Deacon is trippy and pantheistic. I’m neither of those things, but I appreciate the skill and execution of the song. It is effectively affective, but it does not express my worldview. The Newsboys’ “Million Pieces” does that with a vibe I can also appreciate and affirm.

Finally, the list is not put together to be played in order and it is not sorted by genre or anything else. Listening to it randomly or straight through will not have much of an impact either way. If you choose to listen to it, listen however you like. For some people, this will cause auditory whiplash because they prefer one style for a length of time. I am not that sort. I just like music.