Article 
If you’re like me, the majority of your conversations with friends are centered around your common interests. In my case, it’s the best hole-in-the-wall spots, outlandish experiences, sports stats, “pro tips,” dirty jokes, fails, or the best new tunes.
Then, on occasion, there’s that one exchange where you’re playing verbal ping-pong, and it’s all because your best friend Facebook-messaged you an aggressive article/video titled “Brooklyn Man Takes Big Ol’ Dump Outside Supermarket.” Cue the tit-for-tat jokes and headline rewrites.
Irreverent content aside, the meaningful media moments I remember most are the ones that are bound to my closest connections.
My grandfather was a noted jazz drummer, and I have loved music for as long as I can remember. And I know for sure this did not come from the music he played, but from his ability to spread joy to those around him. If you get to the root of his creation, it’s love. My grandfather inspired this joy everywhere he went. A 90-something-year-old Sinatra bandmate, he was still going strong and getting fellow seniors out of their seats and onto the dance floor! He shared his gift with the world–and then inspired me to do the same.
Since December 2010, I have not missed a single day of new music released by Stereogum.com—no joke. To be fair, I don’t think it is the be-all and end-all of music blogs, but the majority of my playlists are rooted in Stereogum’s. Soon my friends realized that I could be their point man for all things tune-related. I ended up working in radio and then as a DJ (for private events and parties). But at the end of the day, my music cravings have always been best satisfied by the approval of the ones I hold closest. To me, that’s the media that matters most.
