Musically inclined...

I’m a late adopter of most technological things: CDs, cell phones, DVDs. I don’t have cable TV. I don’t really understand the wireless networking in my house. And I’ve already reported about my fun with printers this summer. So you know who you’re dealing with here. Musical devices are no different for me.

After everyone else had one, back in the dark ages, I finally got a CD player and started purchasing CDs. All was well. In my room first, and then in my own apartment, I had a stereo which carried sound throughout my allotted space. When the CD player on my (big, now 15-year-old) stereo died, I replaced that with a little boom box, and kept right on having accompaniment to crafting sessions, dish washing, etc. Finally, frustrated with the sound quality of my little $30 from Target solution, I bought a CD component via Craig’s List. I was so proud when I was able to hook it up to my stereo system without supervision (go me for still knowing where the instructions were!) But now that I have a house, and seven bedrooms in addition to the main living room, dining room, etc., a single, static sound solution doesn’t work. So the solution was to rarely listen to music.

Then along came the I-pod. Yes, it was a modern Walkman with the power of a music database behind it. It’s your CD collection in one box, and basically the cause of record store demise. But it’s so compact. And portable. And then there was the Ipod Nano, which was cute, and came in purple. But like all things electronic and modern, this was only for other people.

But then after I got the house, it made me think: I want music in different rooms in the house at different times. Yes, I could move my laptop around, and have, but it’s clunky and has bad sound quality. If only I had an Ipod and a set of speakers, wouldn’t that just be great. My parties could have a soundtrack!

Finally, after two years of thinking about this and considering how many CDs I have, how much digital space they would take up, how much physical space they currently take up, and how much time it would take me to download all of that music, with some of my summer earnings, I took the plunge and bought an Ipod.

Now mind you, you go into the Apple Store, and at once are tempted to get an Iphone, an Ipad, or at least an Ipod Touch. I felt the urge, believe me. But it’s me, so I stuck to the Classic, which has a ton of space, few gizmos, but I think everything I need (I don’t need a pedometer on my Ipod. I don’t!)

I love it already.

As of this writing, I have over 100 CDs loaded on it already. It’s not organized. I have no playlists set up. I haven’t purchased anything through Itunes. But I bought an adapter for the car and took it on its first outing this weekend - perfect. Speakers are next, in time for my soiree, and then I should be set.

And of course I needed a carrying case protector thingy. It came in the mail today. It’s purple...

Musical Interlude...

One of the things I look forward to on my weekend drives to and from New England, is passing through the greater NYC area sometime between the hours of noon and 4pm on both days. Somehow waiting in stupid traffic at the GWB is that much easier if Jonathan Schwartz and the Saturday Show is on the radio. Schwartz is the son of lyricist Arthur Schwartz, who wrote Dancing in the Dark, among other things. He knows all things Broadway and all things standards, and all things Sinatra. He's got a golden voice for radio and always evokes the romance of the golden age/Camelot years of the 50s and early 60s for me.

And the songs that he plays are just my speed. He does mainstream and esoteric. He plays three differerent versions of the same song, and three different songs which happen to have the same title. But best of all, I always learn something - a new tidbit, or piece of history, but more often about a new performer or a new song. It never fails but I'm driving along and suddenly have the urge to take notes on a song title or artist name. I only hope I can decipher the scrawl once I've found a red light. A few months ago it was Irene Kral's Better than Anything. Then it was Betty Hutton. This time, among other things, it was a Christine Lavin song that was so perfect for this time of year:

Air Conditioner
Words and Music by Christine Lavin
Copyright 1987 Blendingwell Music (ASCAP)

Oooh this hot summer's got me down
You can fry an egg on the street
Heat waves are wiggling on the sidewalk
Cops are dropping like flies on the beat
I need a new lover to take me in
Protect me from this humid air
Be him from Brooklyn, Staten Island, or Queens
I don't care

It don't matter what kinda lovin' you're into
Or how big your apartment might be
All you need's an Air Conditioner
And you're the man for me.

You can pour me a glass of Perrier
You can fan my fevered brow
You can rub me down with alcohol
That ain't enough know how
You can lay me in a tub of ice
You can stand me in a cold shower too
But if you don't have an Air Conditioner
I will not go home with you

It don't matter what kinda lovin' you're into
Or how big your ego might be
All you need's an Air Conditioner
And you are the man,You are the man, You are the man, You are the man,
You are the man, You are the man, You are the man for me.

What's that you say you live by the Hudson River
And a breeze blows through your door
Well honey if you don't have a Freidrich's in your window
I don't wanna hear any more
What's that you say you live in a penthouse
Got a terrace with a view of the night
Well that's swell but I really must tell you
An Air Conditioner's a much prettier sight

It don't matter what kinda lovin' you're into
Or how big your wallet might be
All you need's an Air Conditioner
And you're the man oh
You're the man
I don't care what kinda lovin' you're into
Or how big your _________ might be
All you need's an Air Conditioner
And you're the man oh
You're the man oh
You're the man for me.

It goes right on the mix with Too Darn Hot and Havin' a Heat Wave...

Time to learn about i-Tunes and downloading songs...