10 Albums to Play During a Pandemic (in no particular order)

Now Playing… original photo — J. Black

Cabin fever, mood swings, lethargy, creative bursts (and outbursts), blurring hours from day into night, day after day. Shades of the classic film “Groundhog Day”. Thankfully, most of us have enough music, books, blogs, streaming video to keep us occupied when we co-mingle the traditional separation between work and personal time. And for those forced out of work, the darker, more cynical songs may be more appealing right now. Remember as we enter a new normal (whatever that means), the upbeat music is equally important to help set the tone for a brighter future. Inspiration is more relevant in these strenuous times. Since we are sequestered, it is a great time to creatively explore, push our boundaries.

Listening to music is one way to do just that. It could be a song you haven’t heard in many years, perhaps a once familiar track lost in the chaos of daily life. It may be sampling a genre we hadn’t bothered to “dip our toes” into the sonic deep end. Or letting someone else make a playlist for us is a nice way to be introduced to new music. Reminds me of long-gone days of making mix tapes, the hours spent selecting the right tracks, setting the mood and adhering to a theme. It’s an art, sequencing the songs to tell a story or convey feelings about someone or someplace. Playlists gone digital works very much the same. No need to seek out a…