My Favorite Things

• Time of Day: Night
  
• Sitting cross-legged on the warm beach with eyes closed, listening to the ocean breathe in and out
• Eye-catching earrings
• Color: all dark hues
• Dreams, whether good or bad
• Receiving a handwritten letter in the mail
• Fashion icon: Rihanna
• People-watching with Rogue
  
• Rewriting song lyrics to make parodies (i.e. Gov. J's farewell speech)
• Food: dark chocolate
• Songs in minor keys
• Bittersweet story endings
  
• Flower: Orchids
• Fractured fairytales
• Greek myths and legends
  
• Current song on repeat: "Rooftops" by Lostprophets
• Puppies
  
• Singing when nobody is listening
  
• Most prized belonging: this blog

There was a girl who was in my high school French class several consecutive years. She was a self-described music-lover and made very clear her opinions on what qualified as "good music." While I got along with this girl fairly well, I would like to make the point that I am not fond of those pretentious music czars and czarinas who saunter around the realm of music as if they alone know what is deemed "worthy" of listening. These include:

• Youtube users who leave snippy comments for music videos of songs featured on Guitar Hero/Rock Band, bemoaning how their favorite song has now become "mainstream" -- and thus, uncool
• People who claim to be music-lovers but deem classical music as "boring." Hey, you try writing a orchestral symphony or a baroque fugue, and then let me know how boring it is.
• People who complain when their favorite formerly "underground" band becomes mainstream. Right, just because people know who they are now means you can't like them anymore.

In any case, I have my opinions on what is good music to my ears, but I'd rather not impose these personal judgments. And I don't even think music is simply about what sounds good. I believe everyone has at least one song that is attributed to some memory, and that they will listen to this song as a trigger for remembrance. These are the songs that stick to you for a long time, whether or not something is "mainstream" or "underground" or simply forgotten.

The Playlist:

• "Naturaleza muerta" by Mecano
• "Kuroi Namida" by Anna Tsuchiya
• "Somewhere in Time" composed by John Barry
  
• "Sing Me to Sleep" by Waking Ashland
• "Libertango" composed by Astor Piazolla
  
• "All is Full of Love" by Bjork
• "Future Foe Scenarios" by Silversun Pickups
• "Papercut" by Linkin Park
• "Elegie" composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff
• "It's All Over But the Crying" by Garbage
• "Plus le coeur a ca" by Mademoiselle K
• "The Ocean" by Mae
• "Cupid" by OLIVIA