In Chapter 4, the discussion of organization leads to the mentioning of rules that apply to lists and their creation. Rules such as "A list is a list of something" and it is "compiled for a reason" direct how we organize the things in our lives. For me, the playlists I use to keep my music in order work because I've established criteria for how they should be compiled. "All time favorites" doesn't adhere to a single genre, but rather the reasoning that all of these songs are ones that I personally like.
Another person could organize this music in a completely different manner, dividing such playlists into categories not based on preference but on the actual, objective qualities of each song. For instance, someone could sort tracks by genre, artist, year, etc. which would most likely make it easier for any given person to pick up the iPod, sort through the playlists, and find a song they want to hear.
The way I organize my music into playlists is based almost entirely on personal preference rather than the genres and so on that describe it. It shows that I value having groups of songs based on my opinions of them, whether they are old favorites or new ones I'm starting to like, and that characteristics of the track play a lesser role in my method of organization.
Organizing music is fascinating to me, as it says so much about what someone values. Back when I had physical objects (cassettes, CDs) I used to spend A LOT of time organizing my music in different ways. Now that it's all digital, my husband is the master of the order and I just sort of deal with his order. I find it less satisfying. This is probably why I've started buying more vinyl, mostly because I can touch it and order it myself.
ReplyDelete