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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio.
Good morning.
This is Laura.
Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to upgrade your background music.
If you're listening to your favorite podcast or album while you're driving or making dinner, by all means continue.
But if you're just listening to something to listen to something, consider starting a listening project to make this time feel a little more satisfying.
So long-time listeners know that each year I undertake a major year-long project.
Normally, it's been a reading project, like all the works of Jane Austen.
But this year, I decided to do something a little different.
I am listening to all the works of Johann Sebastian Bach.
I love Bach's music, and he was prolific.
So this winds up working out to about 30 to 40 minutes of listening each day.
I started on January 1st.
And a few weeks in, I can tell you, it has been amazing.
I'll be making a kid toast in the morning and listening to an intricate organ fugue.
I am stretching out tight muscles after running.
And I'm listening to a soprano trill her way through an almost operatic aria in a cantata.
Let's just say that this elevates the experience of daily life tremendously.
And it's been pretty easy.
There are recordings of basically all of Bach available on YouTube.
So I just find one, hit play, and go about my day.
If you are a Bach fan too, maybe you'd like to start listening in the car while waiting for your plane to board.
When I began this project, I quickly realized that I had a lot of potential listening time in my day.
Most days, I've been able to listen to all of my assigned Bach before it's even 9am.
But whether you are into Bach or not, you might choose something else that would let you listen with purpose.
There are lots of other composers.
Beethoven comes to mind.
You could listen to all of Wagner's operas.
You could listen to all of Gershwin's works or Stephen Sondheim's musicals.
A performer like Duke Ellington would be fantastic.
Or the Beatles.
You know their greatest hits, but maybe it's worth listening to everything.
The good and the more run-of-the-mill stuff that shows you how they wound their way to the great stuff.
Or hey, maybe you're going to a Taylor Swift concert and you want to listen to everything before you go.
You might explore a genre you've heard of but know little about.
I'd certainly like to learn more about jazz now that a couple of my kids are in a jazz band.
Or maybe it's the music of Brazil or indigenous music from a certain part of the world.
There are a ton of possibilities.
Maybe think about a place you are visiting or would like to visit.
Or think about a historical character who fascinated you and listen to music from that time.
The beautiful thing about the internet, plus the various streaming services, is that you can find pretty much anything.
I remember as a kid going to the library and checking out various CDs of say, traditional Brazilian music in my hunt to find interesting material.
But I had to get someone to drive me there and I had to rely on what my local librarian elected to add to the collection.
These days, you just need to look on your phone.
I think all time is valuable.
We have a lot of time in life that we spend in transition, or not really doing all that much.
Upgrading your background music is one way to make this time feel more rich and full.
I am so excited to be listening to Bach instead of what is randomly on the radio.
I bet you would enjoy this life upgrade, too.
In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening.
And here's to making the most of our time.
Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at laura at lauravandercam.com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeart Media.
For more podcasts from iHeart Media, please visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
In the middle of the night, Saskia awoke in a haze.
Her husband Mike was on his laptop.
What was on his screen would change Saskia's life forever.
I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing.
And immediately, the mask came off.
You're supposed to be safe.
That's your home.
That's your husband.
Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
A new year doesn't ask us to become someone new.
It invites us back home to ourselves.
I'm Mike Della Rocha, host of Sacred Lessons, a space for men to pause, reflect, and heal.
This year we're talking honestly about mental health relationships and the patterns we're ready to release.
If you're looking for clarity, connection and healthier ways to show up in your life, Sacred Lessons is here for you.
Listen to Sacred Lessons with Mike Delaroche on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
This is an iHeart Podcast.
Guaranteed human.
