a passion for playlists

I love music. Listening to it, dancing to it, cleaning to it. Love it. And while I do very little to create any new musical content in the way of strumming a banjo or belting out an aria, I consider myself passably skilled at making compilations of musical stylings that set the mood for a variety of activities. In elementary school I used to day-dream of a time when all of my day-to-day activities were set to a soundtrack that was perfectly timed to cue Taco's Puttin' On the Ritz just as my class erupted onto the playground (don't ask me why, but I've always loved that song). I felt sure they would want to break out into a spontaneously choreagraphed dance as much I did (think Hall and Oates accompanying Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 500 Days of Summer).  As early as junior high I began making celebratory birthday mixed tapes for my friends, hoping that my song choices would set the stage for their special day.

As I moved through high school and on to college, I fell prey the pull of the all-powerful makeout CD, a finely crafted montage of hits made by my crush-of-the-moment that left me weak in the knees and awestruck by how Coldplay could so perfectly capture the lust I felt after we both shotgunned a Keystone Light.  Now that I'm more mature, my passion for Coldplay, fraternity crushes and marginal beer have waned, but my love for a kickin' playlist remains.  For anything from a roadtrip to a workout, I consider a finely tuned playlist essential to the mood, and ultimately, the joy of life's simple everday moments.

And in the spirit of a 7-hour journey to Macinac Island to celebrate the marriage of two of our dearest friends, I'm creating a playlist for the car ride that exalts everything from true love to lust. 

To get things started:

- Stevie Wonder - I Believe (When I fall in love it will be forever)
- Randy Newman - Love Story
- She & Him - Home
- The Lovin' Spoonful - Darling Be Home Soon
- Tom Petty - Here Comes My Girl


I think Rob would be proud.