Keeping track of what you like?

[Linus]

I was wondering: How do people keep track of what they like and don't like among the music they listen to?

Do you write it down? Do you keep it all in your head?

For a few months I've had a little Excel sheet with my own comments on various composers and interpreters, constantly updating what I think is good and what's bad about them.

I use Spotify, so the playlists in there obviously help me. I have e.g. a playlist called "Listen: Haydn" filled to the brim with Haydn recordings I should wade through, and then a "Haydn" playlist with the pieces that I thought were really good and want to listen to again.

Note that my recall is awfully bad, so this might just be me.

[prémont]

I was wondering: How do people keep track of what they like and don't like among the music they listen to?

Do you write it down? Do you keep it all in your head?

I keep it all in my head.

[Henk]

In my head as well. Not easy when you have a lot to explore, but I know more what I like now. When you have overview over your collection it's not a big problem.

[Daverz]

I don't have a system.   If I forget what I liked, I get to discover the music all over again!

I play everything with a Squeezebox, and this keeps track of what I've listened to (via the TrackStat plugin) and allows rating of tracks with a star system, but I don't believe in rating things in this crude way.  A way to take notes would be nice, though.

[Gurn Blanston]

I don't keep notes either, but I wish I did. There is a member here with a large collection who writes down everything he listens to, date, reaction to etc.. I would love to do that but I can't bring myself to do it. More listen, less write, I guess... 

[EigenUser]

I don't keep notes either, but I wish I did. There is a member here with a large collection who writes down everything he listens to, date, reaction to etc.. I would love to do that but I can't bring myself to do it. More listen, less write, I guess... 

Gurn,
You don't have to worry about it! It's been done already:

http://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Joseph_Haydn

[Sammy]

I keep it all in my head.

Same here.  Unfortunately, I don't have any room up there for any other information.

[Gurn Blanston]

Gurn,
You don't have to worry about it! It's been done already:

http://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Joseph_Haydn

  Well, that's the tip of the iceberg anyway. Haydn is the easy part!   

[Gurn Blanston]

Same here.  Unfortunately, I don't have any room up there for any other information.

That's what I'm discovering too. People have often thought of my head as a giant empty space; seems like they were wrong, it isn't giant...

[Cato]

That's what I'm discovering too. People have often thought of my head as a giant empty space; seems like they were wrong, it isn't giant...

You 'n' me both, Brother!   

On the other hand, I - so far - have retained a good amount of things in my head, and while writing things down in a diary could occasionally be helpful, it also seems oppressive!  0:)

[North Star]

I have a Word document where I write (when I remember..) new discoveries, purchases, and if I've come to appreciate something more than I used to.

[springrite]

I can't remember people's names or faces unless he/she is a composer or classical musician. Now I know I was not just being snobbish. 

[Bogey]

I am all over the place.  Heck, I just went from Monk, to Martin Denny, to Joe Loco, to Alexander Agricola.  Not a chance I am going to start keeping track.

[springrite]

I am all over the place.  Heck, I just went from Monk, to Martin Denny, to Joe Loco, to Alexander Agricola.  Not a chance I am going to start keeping track.

Now, that's a decent job of tracking already!

[Bogey]

Now, that's a decent job of tracking already!

Just don't go back more than two days and I am good, Paul.

[Ken B]

One of my greatest wishes is to utterly forget all the music I like. To discover Mozart or Schubert again, from nothing ...

[Bogey]

One of my greatest wishes is to utterly forget all the music I like. To discover Mozart or Schubert again, from nothing ...

The is what Robert Osborne basically says to folks who have never seen Sunset Blvd.

[Gurn Blanston]

One of my greatest wishes is to utterly forget all the music I like. To discover Mozart or Schubert again, from nothing ...

I know exactly what you mean. When we get a newbie here who asks for a list of music to 'discover' a certain composer with, it is always a nostalgic process to try and compile one for him/her.

I remember the first time I heard that, he'll love it... 

[Ken B]

I know exactly what you mean. When we get a newbie here who asks for a list of music to 'discover' a certain composer with, it is always a nostalgic process to try and compile one for him/her.

I remember the first time I heard that, he'll love it... 

We will pass over in silence what happens when instead young Nathan Eigenuser pipes up "More Boulez please. And a side of Stockhausen too!" 

[kishnevi]

One of my greatest wishes is to utterly forget all the music I like. To discover Mozart or Schubert again, from nothing ...

Was it not Szell who said he envied the person who had never heard Beethoven's Fifth, because he would hear it for the first time.