A service offered through my Palliative Care program is Music Therapy. I had never worked with a Music Therapist, and with my background in music it seemed like a perfect fit. In our first session, the Music Therapist discussed the ways we could spend our time, one of which was creating legacy work - a life review of sorts through recordings and music. Of course I loved this idea and took right away to the project of creating a collection of favourite music throughout my life.
If you know me well, you’ll know choosing songs was a difficult task as there’s been so much music over the years. There's been a lot of album collecting, concerts, music industry jobs, and people who have all influenced my life. The final result is three curated playlists of songs, artists, and moments that have influenced my life and aged well. Some songs have a story and others are I simply love and could listen to on repeat.
Part I focuses on my high school days - early 20s.
Part 2 carries on throughout my 20s.
Part 3 covers late 20s to current (mid 30s)
I’ll be posting each part over the next three months.
PART I: Legacy Playlist
And the sun goes down
I watch you slip away
And the sun goes down
I walk into the waves
“Malibu”, Hole
I wish I had a story that began with, “When I was twelve I’d hide in the basement for hours listening to my Dad’s records...” However, reality at that age was more like whatever was popular on Much Music or even the radio. For that reason and lots of embarrassing music later, my playlist begins in highschool with music I’m proud to share and I still enjoy listening to to this day.
Letters To Cleo’s version of “Dangerous Type” from The Craft soundtrack. I remember blasting this on my walkman, clad in black, walking through the park or the mall channeling my best Fairuza Balk. This was also around the time I was caught shoplifting candles for my “spells” and banned from the mall by a security guard who decided to take special interest in criticizing my gothic attire and makeup.
Placebo because Brian Molko.
Veruca Salt and Hole’s albums were my favourite to play along to on guitar - for hours, on repeat. Through recorded mix-tapes their music looped continuously and blasted through the speakers of my first car, the Chevy Sprint!
PJ Harvey makes a few appearances throughout the three playlists. She’s been a constant in my life. It felt impossible to choose songs. This track is from The Crow soundtrack.
STP’s “Sour Girl” brings back memories of the gorgeous and dark music video staring my love, Sarah Michelle Geller. I was a Buffy The Vampire Slayer fanatic in high school, and still am. Seriously, my wall was covered with photos of her from magazines. I also had a collection of VHS tapes labeled “Buffy!!! Don’t tape over. You’ll Die”. Of course how was I to know that someday every episode of Buffy would be at my fingertips through dvd boxsets, and Netflix.
Ours because Jimmy Gnecco.
Doves, Blur, Supergrass, Pete Yorn and others from middle of the playlist were my jam freshly out of highschool and up until very early 20s. Just great songs, from bands that have aged well and I’m still pleased to hear. In the summer of 2002 I started a summer job as an office assistant with CJTR Regina Community Radio. My boss suggested I take to the airwaves and spin music as there was free time slots in the afternoon. I brought my own albums, much of what’s in the middle of this playlist and learned the ropes of being a radio DJ. This marks an influential time in my life. What was to be a three month summer student position turned into several years hosting my own show, “Sweet Sweet Candy”. I also met so many wonderful people (DJs).
Apparently I was really into soundtracks. This song from Grandaddy I first heard in one of my favourite films, 28 Days Later.
Aimee Mann because she’s Aimee Mann, but also because she was in Buffy. She’s performing this song at The Bronze, when a vamp gets dusted in front of the stage. After her set she leaves the stage and delivers the line, “Man I hate playing vampire towns”. It’s the best.
Coming up next month is Part II - continuing with my early-mid 20s where my tastes are all over the place, and most fantastic.
Age 14 / 1997
Buffy The Vampire Slayer walls 1998-2000
With Jimmy Gnecco / Ours concert 2001