We now come to the end of the journey that took more than a month to complete. Like concept albums where each song completes the whole story, my song library is a universe of memory remembered by different genres. Arranged to form coherence, as well as define a mood, the genres fill the silence with timeless music. My collection may not directly affect generations to come, (unless Baby Lenin grows up to become a talented musician or a serious discophile) but it shares an idea on how to organize a large collection of digital music files.
On a personal level, my music library nods to my mom's collection of cassette tapes. I remember dozens of them, neatly arranged in a metal rack on a wooden cabinet next to the bed. Some were mixtapes snugged inside their scratchy plastic shells, while others have their cover art and lyrics which I sung while songs are being played on the radio.
13. Jazz - Lounge
Folksy tunes, modern jazz and 80s ballads make up this genre. While the songs from this collection is considered the proverbial "Eve" of Light Alternative music, the hodgepodge of sub-genres found under this collage make up for its diverse artists composition.
The addition of songs from Andrew Lloyd Weber and Andrea Bocelli add an operatic feel to the assortment. Meanwhile, the inclusion of Astrud Gilberto twists the entire genre allowing its Jazz components to transcend the mainstream and embrace the distinct Brazillian sound known to us as Bossa Nova.
Trivia:
- I bought my first audio (pirated) CD so I could indulge myself listening to Martika's "Love Thy Will Be Done" again and again. The song would become the first to break-away from the New Wave and be labeled under this genre.
- Richard Cheese's lounge cover of Disturbed's "Down With The Sickness" made me realize there's hope for the high-pitched, ear bleeding sounds of Heavy Metal.
- Favorite tracks: Clair Marlo - Till They Take My Heart Away, Tracy Chapman - Fast Car, Gwyneth Paltrow - Bette Davis Eyes
14. Mainstream Pop
Seldom you will catch me talking about Pop when the subject is about music, unless it was Madonna. (or Lady Gaga) The fear to be identified with the mainstream has kept me denying the existence of this genre for a long time. Though the denial was unintentional, (I suspect it was fueled by some gay friends who never cease to talk about Mariah C.) filtering the Pop Artists I listen is still mandatory.
Like with Alternative and other genres, my song preference leans toward pop artists who played a part in my young-adult life. These include boybands such as Lyte Funky Ones, (LFO) and Boyzone; Male artists including Enrique Iglesias and Ronan Keating and female performers like Jennifer Paige, Shakira and Leanne Rimes.
Trivia:
Like with Alternative and other genres, my song preference leans toward pop artists who played a part in my young-adult life. These include boybands such as Lyte Funky Ones, (LFO) and Boyzone; Male artists including Enrique Iglesias and Ronan Keating and female performers like Jennifer Paige, Shakira and Leanne Rimes.
Trivia:
- Despite my vocal disavowal of Mariah Carey and Britney Spears, ( because excessive admiration can spark nasty gay wars) I listen to some of their songs. MC's "I Stay In Love", "Forever" and Britney's "I'm A Slave For U" are among my favorites.
- I adore Madonna because among the mainstream artists, she's the only one capable of shifting from Pop (What It Feels Like For A Girl) to Ballad (Rain, Take A Bow), Dance (Hung Up, The Remixes) to Downtempo/Ambient (Substitute for Love). Until I find another artist who can cross various genres like she does, Madonna remains the only diva for me.
- My respect for Paris Hilton has increased ten-fold after the release of "Stars Are Blind."
- Hard to find song: Ronan Keating - The Long Goodbye (Acoustic)
15. Oldies - Senti
Tuning-in to radio stations on a Sunday morning allows you the rare opportunity to hear music artists that were long gone. Their fading voices live through songs that once crooned the airwaves. On quiet weekends, these songs are played again - for us to remember what inspired our modern artists, while reliving another generation's glory.
As these songs leave us spellbound, they drive older people in a fit of nostalgia: A perfect complement should one chooses oldies over the eclectic Classics or eccentric New Age.
The Oldies-Senti collection is a testament to the vintage appeal of my music taste.
Trivia
- In a time of puppy loves and cheesy letters written on scented papers, senti music accompanied hopeless romantics like me. Between angst-ridden rock and bubble gum pop, Bread, Beatles and Fra Lippo Lippi were our afternoon serving.
- "Rolling In The Deep" is among the newest song to enter my library. Filtering Adele's soulful voice and the continuous banging of the drums, one can easily sense the disco origins of the track These disco elements were borrowed from another time and thanks to Marvin Gaye and Earth Wind and Fire I was able to feel these disco elements the first time I heard Adele's song.
- Mom once asked me to search the Internet for her favorite old songs. Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale" and Paul Simon and Garfunkel's "I Am A Rock" were among the tracks that were added to the genre.
- Many mp3 files from this genre were songs I once heard while playing my mom's cassette collection. Painstakingly searched and downloaded from Limewire, these songs (including the Manila Sounds) were my first exposure to music.
- Favorite tracks: Ray Charles' "I Can't Stop Loving You," Paul Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Charlene's "I've Never Been To Me."
With 17 GB worth of disk space and still growing, what kept me from expanding is not the lack of artists but the means to discover them.
In time, when my Internet speed improves; when page loading times take a light second instead of a full minute; when downloading songs merely require minutes instead of half an hour; when I have finally updated my spreadsheet catalog, I will search the world for music, and my song library will become the heart of my life project.