Motown

Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye, Earth Wind &Fire, Sam Cooke, The Four Tops, and of course, my idol- Aretha Franklin, queen of soul. These are only a few examples of the artists that have filled my days with chin-bobbing, toe-tapping joy lately.

Thanks to an amazing site called Pandora (www.pandora.com), I created my very own commercial-free radio stations, that I can change depending on my mood, set to match any style or artist, and customizable as it plays. It is run by the Music Genome Project, which categorizes songs by their true elements: harmony, rhythm, lyrics, etc... It is so wonderful what technology can do! I turn it on when I'm at work and it always puts a smile on my face.
It has truly won my heart.

As a result of this delightful invention, I have rediscovered my love for oldies. Though I admit my CD collection and my iTunes list is a random mix including "classical", "rock", "indie", "country", "hip hop", "latin" and "churchy" music, I grew up listening to motown. My wise mother raised me on only the best. Memories of "grooving" to Stevie in the car on road trips, dancing in the aisles at an Earth Wind & Fire concert (I'm sure I was the only fan there under the age of 35), and belting out Aretha Franklin hits while cooking in the kitchen have really stuck with me. Soul music makes me feel good. Its that simple.
So if you are with me...please don't be afraid to speak up when your friends claim that the only music worth listening to is on the current billboard charts. Take one from Aaron Neville, and "Tell it like it is".