Dont Go Tubthumping

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.

---

Thomas Jefferson and the Chinese Gong

While Richard Nixon's diplomatic visit to China may have created... Read More

Memorizing Music - How Is It Best Achieved?

When memorizing music there are several things you can do... Read More

Origin of Erik Saties Gnossiennes

The 'trois Gnossiennes' (1890) is a set of dance-like pieces... Read More

Jazz Yatra

Jazz is arguably the most argumentative form of music (even... Read More

Musicians Injuries: OUCH, It Hurts When I Play (But Please Dont Tell Me To Stop!)

This article takes a look at musicians' injuries. For an... Read More

3 Secrets To Understanding What Makes Music Tick

It's no secret that virtually everyone loves music in some... Read More

Learning to Play the Piano with Chords Part 2

Do you want to learn how to play chords on... Read More

The Open Position Piano Chord

Chords. They're amazing. There's no doubt about it. Especially when... Read More

The Dark Side of P2P File Sharing

P2P file sharing programs are free. Period. But there are... Read More

Piano Lessons Can be Fun!

There are essentially two ways to learn piano - note... Read More

Everything I Play Sounds the Same

Many students want to create music that has a certain... Read More

An Introduction to CD Mastering

While many people think that the mixing of the separate... Read More

The Time Machine Exist!

We call it music, ever noticed how vividly music triggers... Read More

Vintage Guitar Collectors Can Still Find Deals

If you're a recent vintage guitar collector, the stories you've... Read More

Surf Waves With Jack Johnson

Lately I've been listening to some pretty cool music by... Read More

Protocol for Piping a Formal Dinner: A Ceremonial Guide for Highland Bagpipers

It is believed that the custom of dining in began... Read More

The Three 8 Mile Battles

Three battles at the end of the 8 Mile movie... Read More

Greg Koch Fender Guitar History

The Greg Koch Fender guitar began to take shape all... Read More

Arpeggios and New Age Piano Playing

Chopin used them extensively. So did Beethoven and Mozart. Arpeggios... Read More

How to Create Hip, Mature and Lush Harmonies

Rarely is a chord played with its tones contained in... Read More

Launch Pad Introduces Subliminal

Who would have ever thought that a call out for... Read More

College Radio: The Most Important Radio Level for Musicians

For the self-promoting independent artist, the idea of taking on... Read More

Review: Coheed and Cambria - Second Stage Turbine Blade

Ever wonder what would happen if you mixed the progressive... Read More

Right Hand Guitar Playing Tip

This lesson can open for you a secret of high-speed... Read More

10 Music Download Legal Points

Everybody's doing it: downloading music and sharing files. People who... Read More

Motorhead Inferno

Motorhead-"Inferno"-Review by Les Lewellyn When David Grohl... Read More

How to be Creative at the Piano

So you want to be more creative when playing piano.... Read More

Yo, is Rap Just Another Four Letter Word?

Flaunting any excessive or anti-social behavior is considered brazen. When... Read More

5 Ways to Enjoy Your Music Files

OK, say you've got one thousand of your favorite MP3... Read More

Is the Record Album Dead? Not by a Long Shot

In 1982, Sony and Philips introduced the compact disc, a... Read More

Chords or Melody First... Which is Best?

There are basically two ways you can compose a piece... Read More

All About Eminem

Marshall Mathers, was born October 17, 72, and could be... Read More

Be Your Own DJ - Digital Audio Processing Tools Overview

SoundEdit Pro is a digital audio editor for a user-friendly... Read More