Music enhances life. Whether packing (fun) or unpacking (less so), exercising or paying bills, music enhances the experience.  When I am singing along at the top of my voice, I can enjoy even the most mundane tasks. If I am having trouble getting inspired, there’s nothing like music to rev the creative spirit. To paraphrase Mary Poppins: just a tuneful of music …

My husband loves music so much, he has close to 10000 songs that he is constantly curating. His playlists are works of art and provide his entire family with (mostly) enjoyment and entertainment.  My approach is somewhat different.  Call me old-fashioned, but I love listening to the radio. Over the eight years that I lived in Boston,  WUMB introduced me to a range of artists I might never have found on my own: Red Molly, Holly Williams, Antje Duvekot, Mates of State and many more.  My daughters are avid Spotify fans and I understand the appeal. I just enjoy the more personal nature of the independent stations and their deejays.  Streaming on the internet lets me enjoy WUMB, KCRW and KUWR no matter where my travels take me.

Speaking of travels, whenever possible, I like to take in the music scene and I have my favorites especially for classical music.  When in Berlin, it’s the Philharmonic; in Prague, around every corner almost every night of the week; in Oslo, the stunning Oslo Opera House, and in Paris, the Palais Garnier.  If I time my trip right, I can see a ballet or two at the Palais Garnier — a transporting experience. Ballet is the perfect marriage of visual and audio pleasures and I am a sucker for the old-fashioned spectacles such as Swan Lake, Giselle and Coppelia. I immerse myself in the experience and pretend I’m a local.