Music over podcasts

This might seem odd for someone who hosts two podcast to say, but sometimes music really is better. I didn’t realise how much anxiety I was carrying around until I put on some of my smooth, upbeat jazz instead of the latest podcast episode when walking around, or sitting on the balcony this morning. I used to maintain a playlist of albums on my original iPod for reducing stress, especially around exam times, or when my late mum was due for a scan. I’d stopped listening to much of it, because I was worried I’d associated such tunes with stressful times. But the opposite was the case. These were good things during my life at that point. Michael Franks, Jeff Lorber, George Benson, Astrud Gilberto, those Blue Note compilations from Tōkyō. Good stuff. Right now I’m listening to Barefoot on the Beach while I prepare for my day. There’s nothing better. By Ruben Schade in Sydney, 2026-10-05.