music for the future

Back in the old days (whoa! I sound like I’m 80), I discover new music mostly through the radio. In gradeschool and early highschool I was mostly into pop music and got my fix from the radio station RX 93. I remember listening a lot to whatever’s on the weekly top 10, and then really liking Debbie Gibson and New Kids On The Block. I even went to their respective concerts…but that’s another story. Anyway, the radio was my friend and our relationship got stronger when I received my first boom box on my 13th birthday. From then on the radio was on most of my waking moments. Towards the end of highschool, I started to outgrow RX 93 and began exploring other stations. I began listening to 99.5 RT and then NU 107. It was around this time that alternative music started to hit the airwaves. Nirvana. Pearl Jam. And in the local scene, Color It Red. But it was the music of Indigo Girls that captivated me. The song “Galileo” was the first song I fell in like with…then I fell in love with the rest. I think their music was constantly on my boom box for a good 4 years (1995-1999). And then I moved on listening to indie pop. You can read more on this on an earlier post titled “music and sadness.”

So after the tapes, the cds, and now the mp3s. Information, especially when sourcing new music, has also evolved from just coming from the radio, or from the reviews on the magazines and newspapers, or on music videos on tv, to the internet. Now, more than ever, it’s easier to discover new music. Heard a song that you liked on an episode of House? Google will churn up various websites containing episode and music information. Want to know more about the artist? Check it out in allmusic.com. Want to listen more songs of the artist? Listen to track samples on iTunes. It can’t get easier than that. There are even websites such as Pandora (now no longer available outside the US - haha) which recommends music based on artists you like (basically, you set up some sort of radio station by choosing an artist, then Pandora custom-makes a playlist for you of songs by similar artists). But honestly, the google-allmusic-iTunes bit works better for me.

So back to Indigo Girls. I only had two of their best records on tape, so when the tape deck of my mini-stereo (I’ve long abandoned the boom box) died on me, I also stopped listening to them. Until recently when I thought about them again and was inspired to download their songs. Now as I type this I listen to “Mystery” and I’m transported back in time. Back when well…never mind.

Debbie Gibson is now a has-been and has even tried to jumpstart her career by posing on Playbloy. Or Penthouse. I forgot which. Plus I don’t even listen to the radio any more. I’m plugged to my iPod almost all day on weekdays. And weekends are spent reading blogs, watching tv shows and movies always on the look out for new music. Time has changed.

I wonder 10 years from now, how will we discover new music? By then will the music player be just the size of a stud earring? Hello future.

2007 highlights

A rundown of the year that was:

January – took photos of the lovely fireworks at SM MOA, traveled to Bacolod and ate lots of sweets.



February – went to Clark to shoot hot air balloons with the camera club members. Spent my birthday at a friend’s wedding.



March – a weird entry on march 8: stop looking. I could not recall what that was all about.

April – Banaue-Sagada trip with friends from the office. Learned: wear layers of clothing or bring a fleece blanket on looong bus rides.



May – Learned: think twice when lending an expensive gadget.

June – Family reunion at Palawan with my mom’s family. Got blown away with the beauty of the islands in El Nido.

July – llocos trip with friends from college. Fell in love and brought home a mac.



August – Mocha died. Learned: how hard i could cry when a pet dies. Cebu-Bohol trip with friends. Fell in love with W.

September – Got a new dog but it wasn’t the same. Went to Sonia’s in Tagaytay for the first time.

October – Celebrated my mom and dad’s wedding anniversary with the family in Hong Kong.

November – Zaza’s wedding. Learned a lot about life and relationships from her.



December – I learned how much I grew up (and how much weight I gained this year).

A lot happened in 2007 and if there was any truth in Saturn Return, I think mine ended last year. It was great looking back to the places I've been, the people I met and the people I became friends with, life-altering conversations with people I've known for a long time, books I read that inspired me, and experiences both mundane and extraordinary that made 2007 an unforgettable year.

Welcome 2008! May you be as exciting and as fun-filled as the year before you.