Music

I was thinking that if you read YA books, you will find a common trait among a lot of the characters in realistic fiction ones.  They love music.  Music is "their life" and takes them to all kinds of places, or helps them escape the hard times, or inspires them, that kind of thing.
I was thinking that in real life, I know a lot of people, of all ages, who say that music does the same thing to them.  I wonder if there was a time in my life, probably as a teen, when I felt the same way.  I never was a HUGE music person.  I went through phases, a deep country one in the 80s (who could blame me, with pop music what it was then!) and then hip-hop and R&B in the 90s.  Now I don't listen to much music at all.  I went through a big talk radio phase, because everything on broadcast radio became all about politics.  While I enjoy politics a great deal, most of what I found in Pittsburgh was pretty hate-filled and one-sided, so forget that.  Then I got into Old Time Radio, which I still love.  I had a huge podcasting phase, when I did podcasts and listened to them.  Now not too much.
I have also noticed that a lot of authors put little playlists on their websites, which I think is kinda cool. I know that my interest in podcasting started to end when I gave to This American Life (no links for it because I am still mad at it!) and never got a thank you.  I know I have written about it here before, but that was when I wasn't good at tagging my posts and so I can't find it.  Anyway, after that Ira Glass just keep asking for money, and I really liked the TAL podcasts, I donated money but never got a thank you.  It just made me sad.  I've given to libraries, nanowrimo, wikipedia, political campaigns, veterans organizations, whatever, and I don't give to get a thanks, but it was just like...what the heck.  So I don't listen to TAL anymore.  I just don't have the excitement about it like I used to, because I think what the heck would it have taken to set up an auto-thank you!  Anyway, now that I have satellite radio it's all 50s music or Book Radio or Old Time Radio for me.
But reading a John Sandford book, and he's an adult writer, of course, reminds me of the role that music has in some books. Sandford must be a big music guy. Years ago I remember one Lucas Davenport book in which Weather bought Lucas an iTunes gift card and Lucas was making a list of the best songs to buy.
Virgil, of course, is always sporting an indie rock band t-shirt and in Mad River he and others debate the best country artist today.
So it got me thinking about music. I never used to use music at work, I would just sing my own songs that I knew but over the past few years I've gotten into using more childrens music as I have learned the importance of it. Plus I am a bad singer.
One of these days I do want to get around to making a list of the best songs ever. I used to put a lot of song links on my book reviews because a lot of books remind me of songs even ones I don't like.
So one of my most favorite songs ever is Some People from Gypsy. Tons of great people have done it. Of course, the Merm, Angela Lansbury, Liza, and of course, Judy and her version is the best.
Another one of the best songs of all time is Don't Rain on My Parade.
That's all I want to say today about music! :)