I have always had a big problem with my addiction to music. I tend to hear I song I like, then rush out to the local record store to buy the CD, without consideration for whether or not I would actually like the rest of the songs on the set. After years of this habit, I have amassed a huge CD collection, but I have been left with many one-hit-wonder discs that I no longer listen to and just gather dust while taking up space in my small apartment (anyone else fall for the infectiousness of Chumbawumba's "Tubthumping" back in the '90s only to find the rest of the CD less than appealing?). I know I am not the only one with this infliction I like to call " Itchy Trigger Finger Music Purchasing," and we all could use some help in weeding out the now-undesirables to make room for hopefully wiser purchases in the future.
I have an established this routine for tidying my overflowing CD collection:
· Scan through your CD collection with this golden rule in mind ? "If you haven't listen to it two years, pull it out." Make a pile of these discs that have not had a recent relationship with your stereo.
· Scan through this pile of CDs and remove the ones you know you like, regardless of lack of play over the last two years (everyone has favorites, but they cannot possibly be listened to on a regular basis when you are constantly buying new music). Put these back in your collection for future blast-from-the-past urges.
· Take the pile you have remaining and sort them in chronological order. The older CDs are the ones most likely to have been ignored over the years, and thus prime candidates for elimination.
· Read through the track listings of these discs to see if you recognize more than one song by sight. If necessary, slip them into your stereo to refresh your memory. If you are familiar with three or more songs on the set, then you probably enjoyed that CD at one point, and you can use your discretion as to whether or not you want to keep it in your collection, or part ways with it since you haven't listen to it in quite some time. Those discs with only one recognizable song need to go!
Now you should have a pile of discarded CDs and you are wondering what to do with them. Use them as coasters? Use them as Frisbees? Have a CD-burning partying (I'm talking about the pyromania version of burning, not the process of transferring to a blank CD). These options are fine and dandy, but I'd like to suggest a couple of other options. You could invite some friends over so they can take a gander at what you no longer want. What's old and tired to you may be just the thing your pals have been searching for (not everyone can be blessed with good taste in music). The other option is to find folks to trade with online. There are plenty of audiophiles trading at SwapThing. There are many categories at SwapThing, so you don't necessarily have to swap your music for more music; you can exchange your CDs for virtually anything that someone else is offering. Good luck and get cleaning!
SwapThing.com is a site focused on building a strong swap community online. The ShareThing program helps non-profits get access to item & cash donations as well as volunteers and professional services.
This article comes with reprint rights. You are free to reprint and distribute it as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is included, and that the link above is intact.
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
Mid 1959 Stratocaster vintage guitars have a slab rosewood fingerboard... Read More
Problems with humidity can lead to heartbreak for the classical... Read More
Many students ask me a question that goes something like... Read More
What in the world is "naked music?"You know it when... Read More
Piano lessons for adults is generally LOTS more fun than... Read More
What is it with these performers and their politics? Do... Read More
The portable MP3 player continues to be the hot item... Read More
Despite the title of this article, the purpose of it... Read More
They're everywhere, and not only are they everywhere, they look... Read More
The 'trois Gnossiennes' (1890) is a set of dance-like pieces... Read More
There are essentially two ways to learn piano - note... Read More
How many times have you turned to music to uplift... Read More
Playing by ear is the ability to play a piece... Read More
G-Units 50 Cent , was born 6th of July 1976... Read More
This article discusses 8 vital things to remember as improvisers... Read More
It sounds like a side show, doesn't it? It does... Read More
I was 17 at the time (the Beatles era), and... Read More
Jealousy ? do you feel it? Do you sense it... Read More
The Open Position Chord (OPC) allows you to create a... Read More
There are a lot of independent labels out there waiting... Read More
Many students want to create music that has a certain... Read More
As a full-time guitar instructor, I am constantly faced with... Read More
Members of LAMN (founded in 1988) and NARIP (founded in... Read More
The music of Rush influences and inspires, at least that's... Read More
There is a lot more to the story that meets... Read More
A student wrote me an email about the lesson "Ocean... Read More
Whether played by a marching band, an orchestra, or a... Read More
We All Have a Favorite Piece of Music that Moves... Read More
Your first drum set purchase is very exciting! You have... Read More
In a recent post to my Yahoo group, I mentioned... Read More
It is believed that the custom of dining in began... Read More
You CAN do everything.Repeat.You CAN do everything. What you cannot... Read More
A while back I was driving along the Jerusalem highway... Read More
A New Breed of Aspiring Songwriters Is In The Making.... Read More
New York born singer songwriter Michael Alan, who records with... Read More
Eminem's roots can be found in Scandinavia through his mother... Read More
One of the rules of practicing we all hear over... Read More
Piano lessons are a great activity for children. They encourage... Read More
In Northern Australia the Didjeridu is seen as a phallic... Read More
In the world of music, many Jazz improvisers and Classical... Read More
Mid 1959 Stratocaster vintage guitars have a slab rosewood fingerboard... Read More
One of the Appalachian Mountain region's greatest contributions to the... Read More
These practice tips were written for fiddlers. I've used them... Read More
"Live music." That common saying may contain some truth, but... Read More
Those of you who have been reading my articles for... Read More
If you or anyone you know wants to learn to... Read More
Anyone who has recorded vocals to tape knows there is... Read More
The Kasabian concert at the Kool Haus seemed like a... Read More
Ideally each page of your website should serve a specific... Read More
Just because you're holding your guitar doesn't mean that you're... Read More
Was the request six months ago, a sixtieth birthday party,... Read More
A student wrote me an email about the lesson "Ocean... Read More
A debate rages on in the drumming world! You might... Read More
Movie and record producers alike are saying file-sharing networks that... Read More
One of the things that makes New Age piano so... Read More
If you are outraged by the prices software giants demand... Read More
Learning piano chords can help you in all your piano... Read More
Most of you have probably heard of the RIAA's quest... Read More
There are roughly umpteen zillion reasons why you should learn... Read More
Is it really possible to become an expert in some... Read More
About an entire local music industry that's rarely heard from,... Read More
Songwriters dream of making their living by writing, and sometimes... Read More
Pakistan is blessed with talent and when we talk about... Read More
Guitar amplifiers are a major part of your tone. Some... Read More
ABA form is like a musical sandwich. You have the... Read More
When I first set out to write this article about... Read More
Music & MP3 |