Jammin' Online

The biggest way that I've discovered new music and artists over the past two years has been through online platforms. I'm sure there are a million and one places you can listen to music, but here are my 3 go to places to listen to music for free (or super cheap):

Pandora

This was the first place where I started listening to music online. I like that with Pandora you can create different stations based on artists or genres that you like, then they'll automatically generate a playlist based on your preferences. This was a great way that I found a lot of new artists while I was rockin' out at work (AND working of course:-)).

Imeem

Initially I went to Imeem to search for specific artists or songs, then create playlists, but the user interface is extremely aggravating, so I don't go there often unless I really want to hear a specific song, and I'm too cheap to buy it on iTunes.

Lala

Lala on the other hand has become one of my favorite places to listen to music. The user interface is clean and easy to use, and I love that along with listening to thousands of artists on their site, you can also upload your own music library and discover new music through following other users and their music tastes. They also have the option of creating 1 hour mixes of a specific genre.

All in all I'd say Lala is the best, but check them out for yourself.

Happy jammin'!

Defying Gravity

Recently I had the opportunity to see Wicked the Musical at San Francisco's Orpheum Theater. Based on Gregory Maguire's book "Wicked: The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West," which is a twist on the "Wizard of Oz," the stage show presents the life of Elphaba, the girl who became the Wicked of Witch of the West.

The show blew me away. The cast, set, storyline and music were witty, fun and probing as it explores how the definition of whose good and bad sometimes depends on whose telling the story. I particularly loved the main character, Elphaba, the misunderstood girl with green skin who gets marked as a villain. In one scene of the show, Elphaba stops trying to measure up by the standards placed on her by everyone else, and in true musical form declares so in song:-D.

The song she sings, "Defying Gravity," is surprisingly inspirational for me. I don't live in Oz, I don't have green skin and I can't fly as Elphaba can, but I resonate with the decision to take a bold risk as I've recently done so in my life. Hope the song inspires to defy gravity a little in your life.