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my daughters find

new music on tik tok

for which i am grateful,

although they consume

music song-by-song,

like careless partygoers

sampling hors d'oeuvres.

there’s a method

to being consumed by

an infectious sound:

start with a band’s

first or last album,

and listen to every song

through in order,

hard choices were made

in the sequence,

then do it again and again

and again

at least three times.

do not skip the songs

you didn’t love,

let them stew and steep.

if you started with their latest

go back to their first,

if you started with their first

now listen to their latest,

you will work toward the middle

depending on the depth

of the catalogue.

(play your favourite songs

ten fifteen times in a row)

find the lyrics and study them.

watch a few videos

and live clips

find acoustic versions of electric songs

and electric version of acoustic version.

see if they have a tiny desk show.

read their wikipedia page

and explore the website,

find and name their influences

pinpoint their place in music history

follow them on social media.

tell everyone you know

how great they are and

promote your favorite songs.

look up the tabs and strum

the intro to your favourite song.

fan is short for fanatic.

don’t cut corners.

singles are for rookies.

music is a lifestyle

not a hobby.