Wagner: iPod etiquette

A word of warning: in social situations, deciding what music to play is a challenge in itself…. A word of warning: in social situations, deciding what music to play is a challenge in itself. Thankfully, I’ve compiled a self-reflective guide on keeping your search for the perfect playlist in check with the appropriate scenario.

1) Honor the host: it’s their space.

Just because there might be an iPod sitting noiselessly connected to a set of computer speakers at your friend’s place doesn’t mean you should automatically put on “Teach Me How to Dougie” and crank it to 11. Any host’s space is just that — their space — and no one deserves to listen to something they don’t want to in their own house.

With this, however, I ask that every host keep an open mind. If your guests don’t want to listen to Scandinavian drone metal, you should probably turn it off and let them “put their arms out front and lean side to side.”

2) Make sure the music matches the atmosphere.

I love all kinds of music, from country to punk to hip-hop, but I try not to put all of them on in every social situation — though, admittedly, I have been guilty of it.

If you’re hanging out on a weekend with people who are looking to dance or be active, for example, you might want to go with a popular college artist like Wiz Khalifa or Katy Perry over a country crooner like Johnny Cash. If you’re playing some Tuesday night poker, though, the opposite might be true.

Being aware of what’s appropriate is crucial. Exploring music with others, however, can make auditory juxtaposition an interesting experience.

3) Collaboration is key.

As much fun as it is to surprise a group of people with something you know is going to tickle their fancy, the biggest letdown ever can occur when they don’t react to it. If there’s any doubt about what you’re going to play, communicate.

During Halloween this year, for example, I tended to promote the original incarnation of the Misfits like it was my job. Some people just don’t want to hear the metallic anguish of Legacy of Brutality from beginning to end though, and that’s completely understandable. In the end, moving between my hardcore punk, someone else’s copy of “Monster Mash” and a third party’s spooky techno created an atmosphere that was both founded on mutual respect and pretty darn rockin’ at the same time.

Finding balance with whomever you’re around makes every situation better. After all, as cheesy as it sounds, music should always bring people together, not break them apart.

4) Don’t let any of this advice kill your musical soul.

It can get pretty disheartening to play things for your friends that make you incredibly happy but make them less excited. Despite what other people might think, though, there’s no reason to ever delude yourself with the idea that your music is any less worthy because you needed to shut it off mid-song.

My occasional forays into jazz, for example, turn off some of my friends like the Sex Pistols at a royal wdding. Their attitude doesn’t make me any less excited to turn on Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue though. Diversity is part of what makes the massive musical canon so interesting.

Even though they might not get it now, that doesn’t mean that there won’t come a time when the smooth lines of Paul Chambers’ string bass will be the only thing the social atmosphere needs.

Overzealous audiophiles I ask you this: Let’s remember the importance of the playlist when we turn the click wheels to our favorite songs.