“You can tell a lot about a person by what’s on their playlist.” – Mark Ruffalo


It was time to change my playlist.

Even though I liked the music on my device, I was getting in a rut. I’d chosen wisely with my selections – I’d built some playlists to pump me up for the gym or slow me down for a mornings meditation.

There were even favorites to help me get showered and dressed each morning (usually Dionne Warwick delivering a Burt Bacharach arrangement works best).

But alas, when you’ve memorized all the words, it’s time for a change. I hoped shaking up my music would keep things fresh and help me expand my horizons.

Music choices do matter because melodies can set the mood and tone to make the differences in my life. It can be energizing or calming; motivating or angering, with hundreds more stops along the way.

The sign above says, “Live Beyond Your Bubble” so that’s what I decided to do. I started to put some new songs on my Spotify playlist – or at least they’d be new to me. Scrolling down the genre, I recognized Classic, Pop, Hip Hop and Jazz. I knew about 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s – but there was one section I didn’t know – INDIE.

What’s INDIE I wondered? Could it be songs from Bollywood? I didn’t know much about either so I started to move past until I thought, wait, if I’m going to live (and listen) outside my bubble, I ought to give this genre a try.

To my surprise, I liked several pieces in these collections by independent and obscure bands performing their unknown music in less popular venues. But I didn’t like everything; I was about to hit delete until I thought how listening outside my bubble was about more than just enjoying comfortable sounds – it would be challenging, like learning a new language or talking with a stranger.

Does the Indie music philosophy translate to other areas of life? Maybe.

So now I’m good with the new “unknownness” in my music, and my life. It’s all a part of my independence. I want to keep listening to different artists, and watching podcasts from the left and right. I’ll read the Indie blogs and keep myself informed. I’ll vote my Indie heart and visit the Indie shops, all the while being kind to Indie people and fighting for the rules to be fair for each and every Indie.

I could ask to use playlists from others but I’d rather build my own. My friend told me that a playlist was just a container like a jar that could either hold screws on the workbench or pencils on a desk. They’re only there for the stuff, it’s what’s inside that matters.

From now on, I’m filling my containers with Indie ideas; because, like they say, everything was new – once upon a time.

How do you think a playlist can be like a bubble?

Is Mark Ruffalo right? Can you tell a lot about a person from their playlist? What if obituaries included the departed’s playlist? Would that tell us more than we wanted to know?

As always the conversation starts here.

“In the ordinary choices of every day we begin to change the direction of our lives.” – Eknath Easwaran

Epilogue

If you’re like me, and didn’t know about Indie music, then give it a try. You might stay for only a short minute or an hour. Or you can just skip around, after-all, everything is about choices.