So I have always been a big music lover, and in my younger days the easy way for me to hear music constantly was the radio. I had a great station that came about during the grunge revolution called Channel Z 95.1, and became so addicted I would listen like all day everyday when I was not in school or was not listening to the latest cd either my friends or I had picked up. Sadly the channel died away as alt rock sort of fizzed out in the late 90s, and in general corporate radio was really beginning to rear it’s ugly head again. Thankfully I am sort of a tech geek, and was on the internet bandwagon way before most so that became my music outlet once radio sort of fizzed out in my life. Still I always kept thinking man I wish I could move to a city that had a great local station that I could really get into.
Well fast forward a few years into the next century and my best friend either picked up or more likely received as a gift ( I honestly can not remember which), a XM radio receiver for his car. Of course he was like omg you have to check out my new radio. Now seeing how this was around our college days we both were broke and cheap (though my friend’s claim I have always been and always will be that way LOL!), and I was like oh cool satellite radio. I have always wanted to really try this out, but the idea of paying for radio seemed like a luxury us college aged kids can not afford. He was like do not worry. I already have a year subscription paid for so we can take my car when we want cause this really is the real deal. Of course since he was usually the driver that left me free to scroll through the radio stations available. At first it was just so over whelming it was almost a determent to me. As soon as I would put it on a station to hear a song, I would immediately start scrolling again thinking I was missing some other awesome tune on some other station. Plus I did not have the station numbers memorized so I was constantly scrolling all over the place looking for stuff. It also helped grab me that we both are huge baseball nerds, and XM radio has all of the games broadcasted as well as a baseball only talk radio channel. We were always listening to baseball and talking baseball because of the radio. It just became one of those cool things to do when we were screwing off during the summer!
Doing a second fast forward it got to the holidays when my birthday is, and while I can not remember why now I just had this feeling I might be getting a radio of my own. I know there had to be some tip off from either my mom or my best friend as I know she probably asked him what I would want, but I knew it was coming. Still my birthday hit, I opened my present, and bam there was my own satellite radio. Mom said her and dad would pay for a year subscription for me as well, and that my best friend would help me hook it up in my car. I got it hooked up over the holidays like hmm 4 or 5 years ago, and I have not looked back since.
I never thought I would want to pay for radio, but now I have no problems doing it. I mean the amount of musical diversity at your finger tips is just outstanding. I can not tell you how much better it is than what I have access to locally where I live. Plus there is a style for every musical mood I get in. I can not tell you how much it helped me stay current music wise. Plus you can discover soooo much especially since you have access to so many styles of music as well as all the artist and track info at your finger tips. Not to mention it is so awesome for long trips as you never have to worry about finding a station. Your station choices never go away so you can just ride on out and your favorite tunes will always be with you. Not to mention all of the cool shows you get to hear like live in studio performances on Sirius XMU or Armin Van Buuren’s DJ set to dance out to in your car. It’s stuff I’m just never going to get with even most really good local radio. Now Sirius XM Radio just has become a central part of my musical life.
I honestly can not think of ever going back. I know it sounds so much like an infomercial sales pitch, but they definitely have a customer for life. Going back to 6 or 8 radio stations with limited choice just would not ever appeal to me. Not to mention the fact that I can only see satellite radio getting better over the years. So I will have the joy of easily discovering new music of years to come!
