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There are people who listen to music and then there are people who Enjoy Music. These three steps help me be the latter.

1. Don’t listen to music all the time.

   A huge part of music for me is not taking it for granted. At best constant music fades to the background and at worst it’s annoying. I want music to be something that I enjoy when I take a break, not something that I take a break from.

2. Have an all-star playlist of songs you love.

   I don’t include songs I merely enjoy mildly or just tolerate. This is the playlist I go to when I’m ready to sit down, close my eyes and *listen*. It’s an important part of my experience that every song which comes up next is one that brings me joy.

   It’s important that I don’t abuse or over-play this list.

3. Have forms of music for times when you want music but aren’t ready to *listen*.

   I listen to the radio at work. This is an important part of introducing myself to new material. It’s also easy to tune out when you aren’t listening to something you really enjoy.

   Even so, I think I spend more time listening to talk radio than to music radio. See (1) above. Talk radio makes for good background noise when you want *something* but don’t want to abuse music.

   Techno music is my go-to music when I’m working on something interesting. I find it’s uplifting and the rhythmic beat keeps me focused. I listen to the mostly lyric free forms of techno so I’m not distracted by words.
   

That’s pretty much it. People are individual and everyone has their own taste. I’m attracted to tune and rhythm more than lyrics, yet many of my friends care much more for words than for tune.

Nonetheless, I believe anyone who enjoys music can benefit from these three points.