Playing with playlists

I don’t love wedding receptions, but I do like running into my friends there.¹ For less than the cost of dinner and a movie, you can essentially speed-date all of your favorite people.

At a recent reception, I ran into a friend whose blog I consider a Mecca of music-I’ve-never-heard-of. Her regular postings of her workout and other playlists have been instrumental in converting me to a small handful of bands that, somehow, neither Amazon nor Pandora has yet suggested.

I mentioned to her my recent initiative to work out to music, rather than the sound of my overworked lungs. She said that she’d be happy to make me a playlist … if I just told her what kind of music and bands I like in general.

For most of you, that would be a pretty easy question to answer.

I am not like most of you.

So over the last few weeks, I've thought about the kind of music that inspires me to perspire.

WARNING: If you think to yourself, “I know Kevin, he’s a decent guy, and he probably has good taste in music,” then I implore you to keep that wonderful illusion, and stop reading now!

It was a difficult process. You see, first, I had to go through all the music I already own. Because I’m an auditor. And that’s what we do. This process prompted some deep thoughts:

1. If I’m struggling to breathe while working that treadmill, will listening to Air Supply help?
   
2. Is Will Smith rapping still cool?
   
3. Can the guy curling the two 45 lb hand weights tell that I’m listening to the Backstreet Boys on the elliptical?
   
4. What about the girl curling the two 45 lb hand weights? She clearly has superpowers.
   

Ultimately, I realized that bands like Bush, the Cranberries, Garbage and even Kris Kross didn’t make me want to jump. But I did manage to find some gems. Thank you, Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, 2 Unlimited (think the Mortal Kombat soundtrack), and some sweet, sweet 90’s techno.

In the future, I’m going to follow these simple rules about making a workout playlist:

1. If it makes me want to sing aloud, it’s not allowed.
   
2. If it makes my hand tired in Guitar Hero, it’s a good idea.
   
3. Angry lyrics mean happy time.
   
4. Minor keys are majorly important.
   

I’m still going to see what my music guru friend comes up with. Until then, I have a pretty good 50-song playlist. Which will last me for a month. Without repetition. Because I don’t work out very often. Or for very long. Because exercising is hard. And I’m out of shape. And lazy. (In case you didn’t figure that out before this sentence fragment.)

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¹ That means if I’m attending your wedding reception, you may not be the reason I came.