…music can be used and experienced in a way which positions people in relation to time and place, other persons or transcendental values.
Even Ruud, 2009
The /soundtrack project is my ongoing journey to capture the essence of music’s ability to profoundly anchor us to particular moments and emotions. It’s a personal narrative I’ve been curating since 1990 through my weekly top 10 music charts.
Initially a private collection, my project has evolved into an extensive database. It differs from the empirically-based Billboard Hot 100, as it charts the subjective impact of songs on my life, not necessarily their commercial success.
With the dawn of the streaming era and storing digital music collections on media becoming somewhat antiquated, I shifted my music database to WordPress in 2019. This was more than a mere backup for the rich metadata embedded in my mp3s; it became a revelation. The ability to cross-reference, sort, and analyze my collection uncovered a realm of quantifiable patterns and insights.
The aim now is to enrich this compilation with deep lyrical analysis and sentiment exploration, coupled with personal anecdotes tied to each song. More than a personal archive or a “vanity chart,” I hope the /soundtrack project may provide unique insights into music’s impact as therapy and potentially enriching future educational resources.
My research delves into music’s power to guide us through life’s narrative, reflecting on its role and investigating its theoretical and therapeutic dimensions. This project, as it continues to unfold, is not just a personal retrospective; it aims to serve as a significant educational tool.
This project is my musical journey laid bare. It includes the profound, the routine, the eccentric, and the embarrassing. It’s a labor of love that I continue to nurture.
As of 2023, I’m still dedicated to this task, with a year or two remaining to fully label each track, even as the list grows each week.
So here it is: a garden of melodies where I find solace, reflection, and joy. Maybe you’ll find your own echoes in this auditory landscape or discover new melodies to nurture in your personal soundtrack.
This is my invitation to you: to explore the /soundtrack project—a journey through the music that has defined my life, every note a story, every playlist a chapter, in the great symphony of life.