Pandora stations...

So I recently have discovered that Pandora is really awesome for someone like me.  I am the type of music lover that likes a certain genre but doesn't know a lot of artist names or songs.  I feel like knowing one artist, like I often only do, then making a station I can add varieties as I learn artists in that type of genre.  It's really great for learning about new artists.  Or I should say, new to me.  I know I'm probably sounding like a dinosaur, but I thought I would share my discovery with you all.

I made a Thomas Newman station because I love the soundtracks he's done.  For example my favorites that he has composed are: Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events, White Oleander, and American Beauty.  I added Dario Marianelli as a variety because I love the soundtrack to Pride & Prejudice.  I also added Nick Cave and Warren Ellis as a variety because they have come up a lot on this station and I've loved every song that has come up.  They composed for The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.  I currently have their album "White Lunar" on my Christmas list for 2013.  I love that Pandora shows what album the song is from so that you can buy it or write it on some sort of list like I did for a later date.  I also found the artist Helen Jane Long.  Every song that has come up by her has been so great.

Classical music is funny with me.  It's very soothing and is great background music for me when I'm working.  But it takes a bit for me to say to myself, stop for a minute and give this song a thumbs up on Pandora.  These artists listed above made me do that.  Classical music is nostalgic for me in a way too.  I always remembered my Grandmother listening to classical music whenever she drove.  She always had the radio tuned to the classical station.  Recently when I was setting the radio stations in my car, I had a hard time finding such a station.  I wonder if there is still one on an AM station.  I seem to remember my Grandma being tuned to AM... hmmm... I'll have to look into that sometime.

I hope that my discovery has inspired some of you to find new artists to listen to.  I don't know about you all, but my fiance and his friends are musicians.  They are one way I find out about new music that is out, but this is another nice way to find music on my own.  While my fiance's friends fill me in on bands they think I'll like, I like a lot of different genres of music.  Different moods and different tasks require different music.  I'm sure most people are the same, I just imagine most people having a closer knitted music type they like to listen to in general.  If that makes any sense...

Childhood photo of myself with my Grandmother's violin that I played for a year.  I now have that violin and need to get it restored so I can display it.  I'd like to learn to play again.  My grandmother was so good at it.