Apple founder Steve Jobs died last week. Among his many accomplishments, the most significant in my life was the fun that comes from random music. Like many of you, my iPod on shuffle is a veritable smorgasbord of musical dissonance. Want to go from Carolina Beach Music to Hip Hop? Just cue my iPod to shuffle.

I’m not the first to say that a single song is like a marker in history. It might remind me of driving to the beach house (Rock the Boat), of a high school football game (We are the Champions, how cliché!), or of the first dance at our wedding (Van Morrison’s Someone Like You). Or, thanks to my iTunes currently on shuffle on my laptop, a wacky Friday afternoon at the office when we all danced to The Knack’s My Sharona!
I’m also remembering all the playlists I’ve made for special events, or the songs I’ve heard while friends had their own iPods on shuffle that I later downloaded. Unfortunately all of my playlists were lost last time I got a new computer and moved everything over. Just another reason to create some new soundtracks for life’s events.

I recently had an assignment that connected my love of random music to my professional life. I Co-Chaired the Chapter Awards for the GA Chapter of PRSA, where we recognize professionals at all levels of their careers for their accomplishments. I was asked for suggestions on walk-up music for the award winners. It got me thinking about what I would want playing as I walked up to win an award. Hard to say, though it might depend on what pops up on shuffle that day.