The Best App on my iPad

Funny enough, the best app on my iPad is not a game. 

Nope. not you. 

It is not Angry Birds or Candy Crush. Its not the lesser known Ghost Trick (which I nonetheless highly recommend). All of these were fun while they lasted...but I can't deem any of them 'the best'.

The best app on my iPad is also not The Weather Network, TED talks or iBooks, Flipboard or Twitter or Facebook. Useful, this lot? Yes. But not my favourite.

When I took a moment to consider my favourite app, it came as a bit of a surprise because its about music. And I've never really considered myself musically inclined.

I mean, I didn't go all download-crazy when Napster came out.

At the age of forty-two, I thought I knew all there was to know about myself...

...but apparently I like dub-stepping while I prep my veggies for cooking (well, I try). Or maybe I'll sing along in Portuguese to some Bossa Nova tracks. ("Kids, The Girl From Ipanema is THE BEST!" coos me).

Turns out I like 'Electronic Swing' (1940's style swing set to a heavy bass beat) and 'Western Swing' (country music with a jazzy twirl)...and I think I might (secretly) be a Shoegazer.

The Best App on my iPad

I am more of a music aficionado than I ever realized. All I needed was the right venue, the right app, to plug me in and turn me on, to bring music more into my life, so that music becomes An Activity, An Event all on its own.

So here it is...*drum roll please*

The Songza App.

I hereby declare The Songza App to be THE BEST APP ON MY IPAD! *applause* *applause*

I use it every day. I enjoy it immensely.

It's like the Music Appreciation Course I never took!

Part of the fun is searching up playlists.

The music on Songza is organized by playlist. It's like hundreds of mixed tapes at your fingertips.

Every kind of music seems to be there, from the 1920's on up to present day.

Choosing a playlist is like picking chocolates from a box. Which morsel looks the most tempting? *rub hands with glee*.

The attitude at Songza is vivacious and free-spirited---as evidenced by the playlist titles and descriptions, which are full of joy and goodness.

 Wheee!

Here's one:

Playlist Title: Ain't No Rest for the Wicked
Description: Been done dirty by a no-good lover? Fixin' to do something rotten? Vent your frustration with this sexy, cathartic mix of blues licks and whiskey-soaked rock from today's finest and the legends who inspired them.

Here's another:

Playlist Title: Gettin' Synthy With It
Description: Electro/indie pop from the last decade--all backed by killer synth--that's sure to get your toes tapping. Toto, we aren't in the 80's anymore.

And another:

Playlist Title: Dancing With Myself
Description: When the best company you can find is yourself, these upbeat and off kilter rock songs will get you sliding across the floor in your socks and underwear in no time.

Aren't they delicious? Which one should we pick, hmmm?

(And, My God, who writes these? Are they having as much fun as I think they are? I want their job!)

How do you find these tasty playlists, you ask? Its easy. 

Besides the Concierge, which offers up some suggested playlists on the main page right away for your perusal, I can 'Explore' for playlist ideas using different categories, like:

• Genre (ie: 'Bluegrass'), 
• Activities (oh, let's try 'Casual Dinner Party'), 
• Moods (I'm feeling 'Classy' today!), 
• Decades (the 80's, man, the 80's!), 
• Culture (I'm gonna pick 'Canada', naturally), and
• Record Store Clerk (how about 'Country Music That Ain't Slick').

I can also do a general search or click on what's 'popular' to see what's trending.

Trending right now are Christmas tunes (because it's December now, duh!)

But selecting a play list is only half the fun.

The other half is hearing what comes out and what comes next. What could possibly follow The Notorious B.I.G on '90's Crowd Pleasing Hits?' Oh. It's House of Pain and 'Jump Around'.

Huh. Wasn't expecting that!

See? A surprise every time.

Thank you Songza App for making me realize that Music Is Awesome.

And thank you for expanding my musical repertoire. I have never had so much fun with music. My every day is lightened by the joy of musical exploration. Me! A non-music type person!

Enough said. 

Now excuse me while I crank up:

• Epic Classic Rock (Oh Give A Little Bit, Give A Little Bit Of Your Love To Me...

Everybody sing along now to Supertramp!

And if you don't know who they are (for shame!) you should download the Songza app and find out right away cuz you are seriously missing out!