Photos by Julia Merrell
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 Rochester Brainery Class Coordinator Abby Odinak. Without further ado, here's Brain Music Episode 42.
Hi! I’m Abby Odinak, the Class Coordinator (and also newest team member) at Rochester Brainery. Sustainability has always been important to me. By creating a space that promotes hands-on learning and crafting through community engagement, Rochester Brainery encourages sustainable choices by involving students in the maker's movement and supporting local businesses. I am so excited to be part of this team of inspiring women focused on community learning.
I am always thinking about music—I think a lot of us are. If we aren’t listening to it, we are wishing we were (the dreaded silent car/bus rides). There are the specially curated playlists we may carry an unreasonable amount of pride in. The ones that get us excited about starting a new day, the ones that help us transition to and from work, and the ones that drive us through our runs and workouts. Aware of them or not, the songs we hear, whether we choose them or they are chosen for us, are what carry us through the day.
I use music primarily as a tool to create focus. I have always been drawn to more alternative music. The Shins, Death Cab for Cutie, and First Aid Kit were the soundtrack to most of my high school years. I have a tendency to ‘over’-listen to songs. When I have listened to a song past the point of knowing what lyric or chord comes next, it becomes a comforting familiarity. The predictability of these songs help cover background noise, but not create distraction. This really helps me focus my thoughts. In contrast, when I am looking for motivation to make it through a run, or working through chores at the end of the day, I love listening to unfamiliar, faster paced music. Not knowing what comes next in a song keeps me engaged with the music and less engaged with the activity I am doing.
The playlist I have chosen here is a little bit of everything, both the familiar and unfamiliar.
— Abby