PLN Resource: Pandora Radio

Generally, the first thing I do when I want to find out about a new type of music is to listen to it. Pandora Radio, for several years now, has been one of my most reliable listening resources. As most of you already know, this online streaming site enables us to build a "station" based upon a musical artist, which will play popular or new music across the world which meets SIMILAR CRITERIA to the musical artist you submitted, and to the music that you continue to "like" or "dislike" over time. To put it simply, type in a band and the "radio station" will automatically pick and play music for you. But you can also type in individual songs, which I have found extraordinarily useful. For instance, if you want to base a station off of an electronic artist, but find that some of your favorite songs are actually REMIXES, composed by someone then recomposed by another, my best bet, I've found, is to type in the song name rather than either artist's names. (I.E. Bassnectar - Boombox ILL GATES REMIX rather than typing in Bassnextar or Ill Gates). Also, if you find that you like a particular song by an artist that happens to be completely different than any of their other music, but still wish to expand your knowledge of music like that one composition, you can just type in the name of the track and boom. Pandora takes into account the differences between artists, albums, and individual tracks. I have learned a positively extraordinary amount about European, Latin (especially), electronic, pop, alternative, jazz, and funk music. THIS RADIO IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE POPULAR MUSIC. There is, in fact, way more underground music on the Pandora database than popular music. To steer yourself clear of music that is overplayed, old, or less interesting, simply click like for songs that are more what you want to hear. I stay away from the dislike button, as that limits what kind of underground music the computer may have generated that I may not know that I would have liked. It takes me a lot of listening to build a Pandora station that I am content with and can call "complete." The entire time subsequent to this completion, Pandora simply throws new music at the listener, allowing them to sort it out for themselves. I've learned an UNREAL amount about Latin percussion and the chordal contour of latin music through osmosis listening to these stations. Try it out for yourselves!! http://www.pandora.com/