Brain Jumps
It amuses me what the brain can do. I was just sitting here at my desk, writing up a bland document, listening to LaunchCast’s commercial-free Indie Rock channel. I was minding my own business, typing up a storm (and I do mean a storm – I often get comments from coworkers about how ridiculously fast and loudly I type – plus I have carpel tunnel in both wrists, and that must have come from somewhere). Out of nowhere (okay, not nowhere, out of LaunchCast’s stream) came “Some Red Handed Slight of Hand” by Cursive.
Maybe you know the song. Maybe not. I didn’t know it by title, but I immediately recognized the opening licks.
I go through phases where I play a lot of SSX. The SSX series of video games ties with the Karaoke Revolution series as my favorite video games ever. SSX is the reason I decided it would be a good idea to try snowboarding. That could perhaps be foolish. Whatever. It’s a serious addiction.
It also has shown me a lot of music I never would select to listen to myself. I like a huge variety of different music. I like pop, vocal jazz, alternarock, indie, r&b, classical, electronica, hard rock, soft rock, instrumental jazz… I’ve even been known to enjoy the occasional country song (though that’s a last resort, really). But really, I spend most of my listening time in the car. And my car’s radio pretty much lives on “Mix” 98.5. I don’t know why they call themselves “Mix” – well, they do have “Whatever Weekends” where they actually play a variety. Most of the rest of the time they play top forty pop. Yes, I like being spoon-fed catchy tunes. Forgive me. Or don’t, because I don’t really care.
Anyway… SSX has introduced me to a variety of tunes that I would not hear otherwise. “Some Red Handed Slight of Hand” is one of those songs I might have missed out on or dismissed if I hadn’t swished my virtual character down the virtual mountain to the tune so many times.
Did I have a point? No, probably not. Just, I guess, that music has a huge effect on jumping the brain around. And I think that’s pretty cool.
It actually drives my poor labmates a little bit batty that I always have music on in my office. I hate quiet for too long…my brain just doesn’t think right.
I can’t function in quiet. Good thing I have headphones! And an iPod! And access to LaunchCast when I get distracted and leave my iPod at home for a month!