In the movie High Fidelity, John Cusack says, “Which came first – the music or the misery? Do I listen to pop music because I am miserable or am I miserable because I listen to pop music?” Personally, I like pop music and all kinds of music. I really enjoy listening to music with friends. I’m not miserable at all.

Some of my friends like pop music. Some don’t. Some like country-western music. Some hate it. Some like classic rock. Some don’t. Personally, I appreciate all kinds of music. I may not like some writers or performers, but in almost all genres, there are songs I like.

In the mid-1980s, my wife and I joined forces with some friends and ran a small dance club, The Bedrock Lounge. For a while it was the place to go . . . until we had liquor board problems. We mostly played alternative rock and dance mixes. On the weekends we brought in live bands. Peg and I listened to a wide variety of music. I played records through the evening and into the early morning hours. She knit, read, and worked on her calligraphy. From pop to classics and show tunes, we’ll listen.

Every time someone mentions a musical I like, I generally say, “Oh, that’s one of my favorites.” I don’t really have a list of favorites, but perhaps I should write one down. Like Cusack, again, in High Fidelity says, “What really matters is what you like, not what you’re like.”

When I attend a musical with my wife, we always buy the cast album if possible. If you are familiar with particular Broadway musicals you can experience the entire play just by listening to the music. In your mind you can see the characters, hear their lines and watch their actions. In reality you are just listening to the songs performed on stage, but the human mind tends to fill in the blanks.

I love live performances. If I have seen a performer live AND have their music on a CD I’m in heaven. If I have CDs of a favorite singer and haven’t seen them live, I search on the internet for their concert dates. And sometimes I just fall into the right situation.

A friend attended a performance of Judy Collins at The Triple Door in Seattle, a small 300 seat dinner and music venue. I asked him to bring back a calendar of upcoming events. After the concert he just told me the website address of The Triple Door and I went there to look around. To my surprise I found out that Guy Clark was appearing just a week and a half later.

Peg and I once attended a Nanci Griffith concert and expected to see Guy Clark open for her. To our dismay, he didn’t make the trip. Since that time we have purchased several of his CDs, however. Two days later I was invited to join friends for a performance of Romeo and Juliette in Olympia. I declined, but mentioned that we were going to see Guy Clark just a few days later.

Guy Clark was wonderful. We had a decent dinner, enjoyed Rachel Harrington, his opening act, and saw him live with our Olympia friends. Good food, good music, and good friends. There was no misery to mix in with our listening pleasure.

Don Doman is a published author, video producer, and corporate trainer. He owns the business training site Ideas and Training (http://www.ideasandtraining.com), which he says is the home of the no-hassle “free preview” for business training videos. He also is webmaster for the music/movie website Videos, Music, and More(http://www.videosmusicandmore.com) which promotes the world of music and entertainment.

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