A while ago Grrrl Meets World tagged me to do this music meme. You know the one, where you list the 5 most embarrassing songs on your ipod? And while I’ve been agonizing thinking about it for over two weeks, the embarrassing truth is that I am just not a music person!

People who ARE music people invariably say one of two things. It’s either A) “Oh but just wait until you here this band/album/song…you will just fall in love with it! It will make ALL the difference.” or B) “Who cares? Dude, if you don’t like music, you don’t like it.” (That’s EXACTLY how the music people I know talk. Easy-going, hip and completely unaware of how cool they actually are).

But the fact is, I lack the genes necessary to motivate me to spend time finding music, listening to it, and I almost never choose to listen to it because I find it distracting, unless I’m doing something mindless like working in the kitchen or driving. My mother almost always insisted that music or radio (and certainly tv) be turned off during meals and it’s hard to reverse so many years of brainwashing habit. But even as a teenager I was never able to study or read with music playing. I simply can’t concentrate.

This is not to say that I am not musical. I am actually very musical. I have taken music lessons of all kinds since I was four years old.  I read music. I can and love to sing. I have sung in choirs and smaller groups. I have played the trombone for 17 years (albeit sporadically in the past few years), I have played in small and large ensembles, orchestras, and jazz groups. I love musicals and I have an excellent sense of pitch. I grew up in a musical family. I enjoy and appreciate a wide variety of musical genres.  

The only time I could be bothered to give a damn what’s on my husband’s ipod is when we’re on long car trips. I don’t know if it’s really fair to label any music “embarrassing”, but I do lurve me some country tunes when I’m drivin’ so if that qualifies, colour me red-faced. Also, musical soundtracks are a favourite.

The thing is, I wish I was a music person. Music seems to be such a vital part of culture and a constant source of pleasure. People use music to define themselves in all kinds of ways. I often feel like I’m missing the punchline to a universal joke by not walking around with an ipod plugged in to my head.  I have come to accept this fact about myself and to stop seeing it as the character flaw I once did.

So the most embarrassing thing on my ipod? Is that there is nothing on my ipod.

And now, since it seems to be the thing to do, I tag:

Elle because she’s unwaveringly classy and I’d love to know if there are any songs that she’s embarrassed to admit to liking.

Karly because she’s mad at me for scoring an awesome house on the beach and I’m trying to charm my way back into her good graces. Wait, you people actually LIKE being tagged for these things, right?

Amanada because she needs to think about something other than which computer to buy.

Teddi because she is not busy at all and definitely needs more to do.

And Jessica, because I *know* she will have something interesting to share!