Toddling through Tuesday: Pandora Radio

I love Pandora Radio.

A few months ago I posted about looking for appropriate music for Ariel that I could enjoy too (and not wanting to pay for it). Eventually, I found Pandora, but didn't really use it much because I didn't see it's full potential in light of this search. Then something changed...I realized I could listen to it on my Blackberry using the amazing built in speaker. [This phone has an amazing speaker. I can use it in the car in place of our car radio when the windows are up...it's not quite loud enough for open windows at interstate speeds. At the house, we listen to it too and sometimes Ariel wants to carry it around so, I just lock the keypad and off she goes dancing and singing.]

Why is it so great? Well, you create your own radio stations. I picked one really random song when I was in a hurry and needed quick entertainment - the song was "Baby Einstein Theme Song." Ridiculous, but it worked. It has made a great station of educational and fun kids music for us. Songs I have never heard about the library and gravity and classics like the itsy bitsy spider and row row row your boat and all kinds of movement songs about touching your toes or ring around the rosie with different movements. It also plays music about different cultures and in different languages. Not a single non-child song has ever played on our "children's" station. All this from just one random song. I'm hoping to add a Christian kids song to see how that alters out station because right now its all completely secular (but totally child friendly). I just think it would be neat for her to learn songs that will put Bible verses in her head, you know?

I also have a Christian music station that suits my taste in Christian music. This one needs a little more work, but that's the beauty of Pandora. If a song plays that I don't like or isn't really what I was looking for, I mark it "dislike" and it notes my preference and moves on to another song. It also has a feature that explains why certain songs are chosen and how they are similar to your other song choices. The mobile version is a little more limited than the web version, but still extremely handy considering the added convenieces of using it on my phone.

She has loved listening to music on Pandora (kids or Christian). On long trips, music is sometimes all that can keep her content after a certain point. She loves it in the house or in the back yard too. Yesterday, the Chipmunk version of Beyonce's "all the single ladies" (I don't know if that's the title) came on and, wow, the dancing that she did was beyond hilarious. I loved it. I just love what this has added to our long rides in the car and times when we are at home. Sometimes I don't want the tv on, but I have to do house work while Ariel plays. She enjoys solitary play time more with music...and I enjoy working to it too.

Our girl loves music and dancing. Sometimes she dances to the sound of planes flying overhead or cars driving by or loud ticking clocks...she looks for any reason to dance. I am all for providing it. With Pandora, I can at no cost to me. It is free. I already have a computer and phone. Although, I would like to eventually get an FM transmitter and charger for the car so the sound is coming through the speakers, but we are doing just fine right now without it.

I don't know everything there is to know about Pandora (clearly), but I'm really excited about what I do know and what it has given to our family. I know that there are supposed to be stations that other people have created that you can listen to as well...I haven't taken the time to look into these, but I'm hoping to soon. Maybe this will solve my Christian music station issues...

Well, I just wanted to share a tool that helped me find our solution.

Linked to Tuesday's Tip Jar.