Good morning proFASHIONals! This week’s investment is great because it never goes out of style, and it’s FREE!
If you are allowed to listen to music at work or if you want to listen while you read at home, I’d highly suggest getting a Pandora Radio account. I said it before and I’ll say it again. It’s FREE. There is no down-side to signing up. If you end up not liking it, no need for returns. However, there really is no way to not like it, since it is completely customizable.
It's almost like you requested each song! Oh wait...you did.
If you set up an account (which takes literally 2 minutes), you’ll be able to save your playlists. Yes, like iTunes, you can create playlists or “stations” as Pandora calls them. To set up a station, you simply type in an artist or song that you like. Then, Pandora sets up a station, titled whatever you just typed in and creates a playlist based on the song or artist you submitted. On the left I have highlighted the station I am listening to right now. A great aspect of these stations is that not only do they play songs by the artist you suggest, but they also play songs that are similar artists. This has opened my music horizons greatly, and I now listen to other artists I did not know about before.
As I’ve displayed on the right, you also have the option to “add variety” to each playlist. This is a great tool if you want to listen to two artists that are not similar and 
would not normally be put in one, single station. When you click “add variety”, you simply type in another band or song that you like and Pandora adds that entire station to the station you already created.
I'll take that, and that,...but NOT that.
My favorite aspect of Pandora Radio is the “like/dislike” options. These tools are self explanatory, but can really make a difference in your playlists. Usually, I use my Pandora as background music while I’m writing an essay or reading an article for school. I’m just that kind of person who can’t stand silence. To compromise the silence while doing work, I like to listen to music that doesn’t have words. However, sometimes some songs come up in the playlist that have words in them. This is where the Pandora like/dislike option comes in. If a song comes up with words in it, I simply click the “dislike” button, highlighted in red, banning the song forever from that station. Similarly, if I really like a song, I can “like” it, highlighted in yellow, and Pandora will make sure it appears in the station again.
I just mentioned that I like to work with wordless music, and I’m sure a lot of you are the same way. My two favorite wordless Pandora stations are Danny Elfman/John Williams Radio and Ratatat Radio. Like the music in Harry Potter or Titanic? John Williams is your guy. These are just two of the movies that feature his film scores. Danny Elfman scores most of Tim Burton’s films, including Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Pirates of the Caribbean. His music is a little quirkier, but I still enjoy it very much. I have combined both of these artists to make a perfectly orchestrated station.
Another station I love is Ratatat Radio. Never heard of them, you say? If you’ve heard to popular song “Pursuit of Happiness” by Kid Cudi, then you actually have heard of Ratatat, because they created the music for the song. Their solo songs are fun, different, and very modern. Ratatat is a great addition to anyone’s Pandora that loves original music with an electric twist. I recommend music by any of these artists to find your interview zen as well! Check out Pandora Radio, at http://www.pandora.com today.
If you have any of your own workplace music suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment! But for now…
Biz, Love, & Fashion,
Danielle Honig
I am a HUGE fan of Adele radio. The music on this station switches from music with words to music without words. It is a great balance for a long day at work!