Radio and music

I'm a big fan of the radio.

More on this later.

Now, like a lot of teenagers, I want to listen to "current" music and be in the know blah blah blah but I also feel like I fit a small part of the indie demographic that listen to vintage classics and invest time in seeking new music from all corners of... well the music-sphere. I wish I could have all the time and money in the world to totally immerse myself in wonderful new and old music, world music, cultural music, classical music, dubstep, film overtures... It's inspiring.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday of this weekend I have been singing as part of NEYC (North East Youth Chorale) and our conductor, John Forsyth, is an incredibly passionate and inspirational (slightly intimidating but altogether lovely) person and was talking about how people are so unaware of awesome choral music and the wonders of lost music. It really hit me because I absolutely love a choral piece that strikes a note in you and you just think "yes, this has blown me away". For me, I have a lot of moments when listening to a variety of songs that are like that and I'm sure that lots of people everywhere have that too. It's just right, right? Of course pop music is pop music and classical music is classical music, that's just how it is, but there are so many people who exclude them from their lives and that really upsets me. Pop music is not just for the "commoners" or children or teenagers who need something to dance to or quote lyrics from on Facebook and classical music is not just for stuffy old people and choir conductors. Music is universal and I do not know of a single person who would be able to envisage a life without it. Mainly because I surround myself with musical people who, like me, have a varied musical catalogue and enjoy sharing their opinions and tastes.

My day yesterday was actually great. I felt so comfortable and happy about everything. We, as a choir, sang at a wedding. Getting the bus to and from Middlesbrough was absolutely brilliant, singing all sorts! Primary school songs...hymns... the classic rendition of the Hallelujah chorus because we're all polished singers who know it incredibly well... and reach the bit where it goes crazy with lots of different rhythms and we forgot the really words and gave up. It was actually hilarious and I couldn't stop smiling! We then went back to our little rehearsal hall and practised from 3-6 and it totally wore me out. Phew.

This morning I listened back to Morrissey's interview with Dermot O'Leary on the BBC Radio 2 i-player and their interaction was actually brilliant. I love them both a huge amount. Dermot's extreme enthusiasm for old and new music is truly infectious, bringing me onto why I love the radio.

Those moments when a song comes on that you actually love, so you can just turn it up, shout out the words and do a little boogie. Or when a new song comes on and you just think "Wow!" and when presenters are just hilarious (Alan Carr and Melanie Sykes, Sarah Cox, Gregg James, Nick Grimshaw... Scott Mills) they make the links just quality. I love how many FM channels there are, how there are specific programmes and stations that play specific genres of music and then the mainstream ones have playlists but then they sometimes play whatever the hell they want. There's also the not so musical channels like Radio 4 that broadcast insanely interesting (sometimes) debates and comedy and all sorts, like Thought for the Day and other brilliant, BBC things.

This also comes about on the day when Spotify has changed its stupid rules so that you can now only listen to a song 5 times on its "free" settings... HOW INSANELY LAME. Seriously. Not happy. That's where I discover new music... and of course I feel guilty for not buying things...but WAAHH I'M LAMENTING THE LOSS OF MY BACK CATALOGUES OF THINGS.

So, with this sudden loss I've had to revert back to being a total radio whore again and hopping the channels for those golden moments of musicality. This is what my life has become.

In a way I'm really sad that I can't be so devoted to new or old but nonetheless vibrant and exciting music as I want to be... but I can always try and I probably always will.

Here's to enjoying music more.

Tatty bye,

Haze