This post drifts off-topic, except for the fact that the Sirius radio is a godsend for music lovers. It has channels for each decade from the 40’s to today, as well as many genre-specific channels, sports in 3 languages, news and talk until the cows come home. Additionally, one music source (satellite, AM, FM, one of two CD/DVD players, Hard Disk, or auxiliary input) can be directed to the vehicle speakers while another can be beamed to the 2 wireless headphones. Or, one headphone can be set to Source A while the other to Source B with the vehicle speakers are muted.
By Tracey Rosato
senior director of operations, pop culture aficionado & routan driving mom
We recently purchased a new mini-van, totally selling out to parenthood and middle age. With the mini-van came a pleasant perk (well, several honestly)…..but I’m talking about satellite radio. We’ve got more stations and genres than we know what to do with and we’re having fun finding lots of new music and cool artists. However, my guiltiest pleasure has been a Saturday afternoon feature of 70’s radio – replays of America’s Top 40 with Casey Kasem from the actual date it aired. It’s like I’m in a time machine, transported back to any year 1970’s and all the memories that go with that. …
Thinking about Top 40 in the 70’s brings me around to the music of my childhood That is, the music my parents played that has stuck with me my whole life and still lives on my iPod today. …
I think the first albums I ever owned were the Jackson Five and with Michael’s Jackson’s passing that’s what I remembered most … loving little Michael and singing along to those LPs. How many times did I fill out that Columbia House order form with all the records I wished I had until I finally mailed that sucker and my giant package of vinyl arrived? … I had to justify my joining without any means of paying by explaining to my Mom that I only needed to order two more albums a year for like the next 10 years. … I have no idea if I ever fulfilled those future orders.
My record collection eventually expanded to some 400 – 500 albums. They were always a huge item on my Christmas list. … One year, I got something like 11 albums – thrilling! I remember loving 45’s too (understatement) and I bought them by the hundreds. … 45’s are still an obsession (thank you, iTunes – my fantasy “45” mall) but as easy as it is to download singles now, it’s not the same…is it? There was something so great about those singles on vinyl and listening to the crappy song they would throw on the B side.
My love of music has not dimmed and it’s grown to include so many artists and genres that have been inspired by places or people that have woven in and out of my life. I do know the original inspiration for this lifelong love was what I grew up with. Music was always present, always appreciated and evokes the happiest of memories. I can thank my parents for that and I can only hope my kids will feel the same.
