Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Itunes Killed the Radio Star

I hope I don't do the whole “when I was your age” thing to my kids because it wouldn't really have any effect on them.  And it makes me feel old.  No one wants to feel old.

But the other day, while driving down the street, pumping music the way only a mom with kids in a minivan can….which is fairly lame…The Girl had a revelation.

The radio is no fun.

This epiphany came when I had to tell her that I couldn’t restart a song because it was playing on the radio and not on CD or the IPod.



What?!! My musical needs cannot be met RIGHT.THIS.INSTANT? This will not do. Heads will roll!

The Girl thinks all music actually COMES from Itunes! She thinks that Itunes is a band. THE band. And me, I am the roadie that makes it all possible one 99 cent download at a time.


I’m listening to her complain, thinking back to my own music listening childhood.

Let me know if this sounds familiar. Then, I’ll know how old YOU are.

You're sitting in front of a radio with another radio in your hands, but THIS one has a tape cassette recorder. You're waiting eagerly as you hear the beginning strains of your favorite song come on after the dj’s voice…you SNAP into action, hitting the PLAY and RECORD button at the same time so that you can finallllly have a copy of that song! You suddenly discover that you only had enough tape to get through the middle of the first chorus of “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. Tears. Flip tape over. Wait another 2 hours.  What I wouldn't have given back in those days for something like Itunes.  Hell, back then what I wouldn't have given for a Walkman.  Yeesh!


If you want to truly feel old - think about this.  Those of us with young children can say that our children have never existed in a world without smart phones, texting, Itunes, dvr, GPS, twitter and so on.  I imagine that soon enough all we'll have to do is think about a song and it will appear on whatever listening device is popular when my children have children.  After all, you can already get your car to inform you of exactly who sings that song and help you download it to your Ipod.

** In the interest of full disclosure I must admit that this is yesterday's post.  I have been trying to schedule all my entries at noon so there will be some continuity and sense of expectation.  I did just that yesterday, except I scheduled this post for 2/8/2012.  Oops.

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