Casual Listening

[Ataraxia]

When you listen to classical music casually, what's your favorite way to tune in?

A local radio station? Which ones? (Mine's MPR/Mn Public Radio)
Internet programming? (A streaming online station, Pandora, Spotify, etc.)
Your own randomized digital files? (How do you work this?)

Thank you.

[Florestan]

Youtube.

[Ataraxia]

Youtube.

What is your method, sir?

[Florestan]

What is your method, sir?

I bookmarked a lot of very good channels. I just go to one of them and start listening.

For instance, these ones are excellent.

http://www.youtube.com/user/newFranzFerencLiszt?feature=watch#p/search

http://www.youtube.com/user/fyrexianoff/videos

http://www.youtube.com/user/581983141

http://www.youtube.com/user/GoldieG89/videos

http://www.youtube.com/user/ClassicalRecords/videos

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheGravicembalo2

http://www.youtube.com/user/pastrychef1985/videos

http://www.youtube.com/user/whomakemefeel

Hope you'll find something to your liking. Enjoy!

[Ataraxia]

Wow!! I didn't even know they have channels on YouTube! 

[Florestan]

Wow!! I didn't even know they have channels on YouTube! 

Some of them are so good that it's not even casual listening anymore, but listening in full concentration.  Sound quality range from acceptable to very good.

[Ataraxia]

Some of them are so good that it's not even casual listening anymore, but listening in full concentration.  Sound quality range from acceptable to very good.

Good to know. Thank you.

My listening at work and in the car is the local station but in the evenings and on the weekend I mix it up a little.

[Karl Henning]

I set my device on Shuffle.

Come to think of it, Heavy Metal Dave, you put me on to that method . . . .

[Ataraxia]

I set my device on Shuffle.

Come to think of it, Heavy Metal Dave, you put me on to that method . . . .

Yes, yes, I have many methods. Bwa ha ha haaaa... 

I think my iTunes has over 38,000 tracks now. 

[Florestan]

Good to know. Thank you.

You're welcome, Dave. My, my, I haven't even noticed it's you until Karl came in.

[Ataraxia]

You're welcome, Dave. My, my, I haven't even noticed it's you until Karl came in.

Karl knows all.

[nesf]

Local radio: None

National radio: It's pretty meh. Too much talk, too little music and what music there is is too "Top 100 Classics!!11!" during the day. At night when the more serious stuff is on I'll be listening to something serious from my own collection anyway.

Youtube: Occasionally. One I like at the moment: http://www.youtube.com/user/ValentinaLisitsa?feature=watch#p/p

Own collection: Usually I'm lazy and will do an iTunes Genius mix on random or something similar. Or I'll put on an album or collection and passively listen to it.

Internet radio: I've been experimenting with this but not sure about it yet. I've been meaning to listen more to these channels to see if I can find one I really like: http://www.accuradio.com/#!/classical/

[Rinaldo]

When you listen to classical music casually, what's your favorite way to tune in?

I listen to a lot of classical music casually (while working or reading or falling asleep) but never randomized, I'll always pick the "right" genre or composer to complement the moment.

And from time to time, I tune into WQXR's online stream.

[jowcol]

I set my device on Shuffle.

Come to think of it, Heavy Metal Dave, you put me on to that method . . . .

I've redefined the tags for "album" and "genre" to support different types of shuffle.  I've got at least 8 classical genres, 5 jazz genres, and 4 blues genres. 

Playlists can also be randomized- a large one is good for this purpose.

[Ataraxia]

I've redefined the tags for "album" and "genre" to support different types of shuffle.  I've got at least 8 classical genres, 5 jazz genres, and 4 blues genres. 

I have a genre called "atonal honking."

[DavidW]

Does listening while I work or when I take a walk count as casual?  If so, I pull up the album I want to listen to and hit play.

[Ataraxia]

I pull up the album I want to listen to and hit play.

No, that's putting too much thought into the process.   

[mahler10th]

I have bloody loads of downloaded 'live' concert files.  I load up a fre folders and play randomly.  All the musical pieces are in one file, so a concert folder with three pieces performed is divided into three files.  Each one (eg:  Bruckner 6 - Nagano - Deutsche Sinfonie-Orchester, Berlin which I am listening to now) is one file, not four movements.  If I load ten folders of concerts (each generally having three performances), I get thirty full works playing randomly.  I never have time to listen to them all.
Few days ago I joined another concert sharing group in yahoo, where I found two Hans Rott Concerts!!!       

[Ataraxia]

Last night I allowed Amazon recommendations to choose my listening for me by pulling up the recommended recordings on Spotify.

[Karl Henning]

I have a genre called "atonal honking."

Perfect for Henningmusick!