My musical journey has defined my life ever since I was a little girl. My maternal grandparents played stringed instruments for fun. On some of my visits to their home, they'd pull out their guitar, banjo, and harpsichord so they could have impromptu jam sessions. They loved bluegrass and could play a few songs together.

My parents, even though they claimed they couldn't sing, spent ever car trip I could remember melding their voices together to entertain us. We had a radio in our vehicle, but it was more fun to hear them sing their favorite songs to us.

I had access to a record collection big enough to fill an entire room between my father, grandfather, and uncle. I remember pulling records from their sleeves and listening intently to make sure that the needle didn't skip. The cover art fascinated me, so I pored over albums and got to know every square inch of them while I was growing up.

The Times, They Just Keep Changing!

I remember when cassette tapes basically became obsolete and compact discs became the norm. I worked in music stores where I bought copies of new artists' albums. I was the first person I knew to listen to Coldplay which made me feel like the music was all my own.

As I got older, digital files started to replace CDs, and I filled my MP3 player with my favorite music. It was a mash-up of different generations and genres.

Music helped me get through different times in my life. Like a good friend, it was always there for me when I needed it. I did a lot of traveling and exploring in my youth, so music narrowed the distance between one destination and the next.

As I traveled, I let the music enhance my musical journey. I'm grateful for the upbringing I had and remain passionate about music to this day. I love sharing music with my son and younger family members because I know how it influenced my youth.

Online music streaming is my preferred way to access music. I'm a member of many different online music sites where I am exposed to different musicians, instruments, and genres. I prefer the sites where playlists are created and shared with other members.

I play music through the 8Tracks app and watch music videos on YouTube. I write down the names of my favorite artists and save them to listen to later. I have different playlists that I refer to for the different tasks that I do throughout the day.

For example, if I'm studying, I like to listen to one type of music. If I'm cleaning, I prefer another type of music. I match music to my mood because music is meant to be felt and listened to!

Choosing the Right Playlist for Different Moments in Your Life

If you haven't yet experienced the joy of creating your own online music streaming playlist to listen to, now is the time to do so. It's a deeply personal experience selecting songs that evoke emotions, match the movement of your body, and cause you to feel alive. There are many places that you can create playlists but one of my favorites is YouTube.

Although the platform includes video, I find it just as satisfying to open up another tab on my computer's browser and let the music play in the background. It's something that you can do yourself if you want.

Since it's humble beginnings in 2005, YouTube has soared to success becoming a household name around the world. It is currently owned by Google after being bought from its original founders, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim. They developed the idea after finding it difficult to share and watch video clips that they had recorded.

Since then, it has become a cultural phenomenon with over 1.5 billion active users a month watching mobile videos according to TechCrunch. If you love music as much as I do, you're helping others to discover new artists, old favorites, and even new genres every time you put together a playlist.

How to Create a Playlist on YouTube

Creating playlists is easy. From the home screen, click on the three vertical dots located on the right-hand side of the video's name. It then pulls up a list of options.

The fourth option, "Add to playlist," is what you want to choose. It then allows you to add the current selection to a playlist you have already created or to create a new online music streaming playlist which you name yourself. Whenever you hear music that you want to save, you can add it to the playlist of your choice and other people can listen to it, too.

One of the benefits of creating playlists is that you can play song after song with few interruptions the way online radio does. You're essentially shaping your own musical journey with every song you add to your online music streaming.

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