There's no doubt that finding the perfect playlist can motivate and inspire you. Whether it's finishing the last mile of your run, tackling that laundry you've been putting off, or getting you through your workday, tunes can change everything. So let's motivate and inspire each other, shall we?

This is Brain Music: a selection of songs curated monthly by different members of the Rochester community that we hope will inspire you the same way it inspires its curator. Today, we bring you a playlist curated by chef and teacher Christin Ortiz. Without further ado, here's Brain Music Episode 36.

I’m Christin Ortiz, a Rochester transplant who loves this city! I teach cooking as Senorita Gordita, and love talking food with anyone, anywhere.

When it comes to music, I have a thousand thoughts on what I prefer, and “music you bellow into a curling iron in front of your full-length mirror while laugh crying” isn’t a genre. Yet. But we all know that music! The music that gives you goosebumps, music that makes you play your steering-wheel drum, music that makes you think someone knows what’s in your head, music that tells your story. 

There’s a song that became the anthem for vacation, and now I always think of that friend when I hear it. And the song I don’t look for anymore because he insisted it was “our song,” but when it pops up, I smile at my life now. I have a playlist for when I need to take a walk and make decisions, and one for staying awake for late night drives. And then there’s a whole list of cooking playlists!

I cook for a living, and I think of music the way I think of food. It keeps me alive, and when I pay attention, it sustains my life in a more beautiful way. The kind of music that is playing in my space or headphones absolutely depends on what I am doing and what mood I’m in, but the music is always a part of it. The tunes that play while I’m brainstorming a menu are usually more mellow, food prep is almost always electronic music, and dishes and cleanup are reserved for my queen, Lizzo.

My favorite lists to put together are the ones for my cooking classes, and food shopping for those classes. I am totally that girl that thinks I’m completely alone in the grocery store once I’ve put on those headphones. I always say at some point during each class that what you put of yourself in the food is almost more important than the recipe. Cook with love! In the same way, I truly focus my intention for my classes. I want everyone to have a blast while they’re with me and leave inspired and energized, so that’s how I get ready for them. The playlist I created for you this month is a mix of old songs I adore and new ones that make today the best day. And if you find at the market dancing with my eyes closed in front of a table of hot peppers, just join in.

— Christin