Search

My Other Work

Better than WordPress

Get Your Fix

First Music of the Day

September 06, 2007

I have a little secret and I think it’s time to let you in on it. It’s not anything bad, but it’s one those micro-obesessions that we all have allowed to infiltrate our daily lives. What’s mine?

Every morning when I sit down at my desk, turn on my Cinema display and get ready to begin my day, I first open iTunes and very carefully find which music album (or genre) will be the first I hear. It’s not a matter of choosing just anything. It has to be done carefully.

Here are the rules:


  1. The album has to be unplayed for at least the last day. The only exception to this is if it’s a new album that I’ve been listening to obsessively (but those are rare).

  2. If the sun is shining brightly in the office windows, then classical music is to be favored. Together with the sun, it’s an uplifting combination, but not too hyperactive like a squirrel on meth during nut season.

  3. No Elliott Smith. Ever. He’s one of my favorite artists, but he’s just not suited for the mood-setting music of the morning. I also don’t carve meat when listening to Smith.

  4. Go right for electronic music if the day starts out with some coding, skipping the usual check of email and newsfeeds. Sasha is a favorite, but even Thievery Corporation would do nicely.

  5. No podcasts. First, it’s not music (usually). Second, I don’t like talking to people or having people talk at me first thing in the morning.

If all else fails, I pull up a favorite John Hartford album, push the volume slider to the right and get my mountain music on. It’s never a bad way to start the day.

Comments
  1. Eric Meyer — September 06, 2007 at 3:39:06

    gravatar of Eric Meyer

    This morning it was Pavarotti for me, naturally enough.

  2. Ethan — September 06, 2007 at 3:47:44

    gravatar of Ethan

    Blue Scholars this morning, for some reason.

  3. Dale Cruse — September 06, 2007 at 8:11:15

    gravatar of Dale Cruse

    I like to wake up to a music podcast - usually KEXP’s Song of the Day or KCRW’s version of the same. That way I start every day discovering something new and cool.

  4. Ryan — September 06, 2007 at 11:56:23

    gravatar of Ryan

    Eric, I also played some Pavarotti today.

    Dale, I also enjoy the KCRW SotD podcast and I do sometimes check that out first.