My Favorite Things — Spotify
Much of my life and career has focussed on access and inclusion and working towards a society where people with a disability would see their rights realised. So at first glance, my love of Spotify would appear to have little to do with my work. But, I have to admit that music was my first love and I have around 4000 records, tapes and CD’s sitting in my cellar. I have an original iPod classic with 160gb of mp3 available to me, but I have fallen in love with someone I shouldn’t have — Spotify.
But relationships are complicated, and there are some common themes. The first could be described as access. To put it simply I want it all… and I want it now. Wherever I lay my head, I need to pump up the volume and listen to the music. As long as my phone is charged, I can embrace my love of rock and roll to my hearts content, as I have access to my library of songs from across the years. In my working life there may be a lesson I can take from this, accessibility needs to be on demand, no waiting in vain for a song I wanted to listen to, something that evokes memories of better days, accessibility just needs to be there, when we need it, not something we just hope and wish for.
The second reason why I am tempted by Spotify might be Inclusion. In my vast library are recordings by obscure and barely remembered artists, superstars from different cultures, eras and traditions. At my fingertips is a diversity of songs, songwriters and performances that I can draw from at any moment. One minute I am listening to a one hit wonder form the 70’s, the next to live performances by a singer I never experienced before, songs I’ve forgotten and those I have never heard are all there when I want them. Thanks to recommendations from friends, I am exposed to new sounds regularly.
With both access and inclusion on my playlists, I have a the whole wide world of tunes to listen to, and as I trip from one to the other I appreciate that what binds the songs together, the things that they have in common are more important than the differences. Each is valued. If Spotify makes me remember that our shared experience binds us more than that which divides us, then that’s another reason to lay back and enjoy the moment.
