9/17/2008

By GARY DEMUTH

Salina Journal

Whenever Kaylee Brown is mad, she turns her iPod to hard rock.

When she's writing a term paper, she might switch to soft, pop music. If she wants to get rid of a headache, country music is a sure-fire cure.

"I change songs with my mood," said Kaylee, 15, a sophomore at Salina South High School.

For Kaylee, whose musical tastes change constantly, there's nothing more convenient than carrying an iPod.

Within a unit the size of a cigarette lighter, Kaylee stores about 820 songs, from pop to rock to country to hip hop to 1980s electronic music.

"I have a little bit of everything," she said.

For the unaware, an iPod is digital music player manufactured by Apple which can store hundreds of songs downloaded from MP3 computer files. While there are other MP3 players, most notably the Microsoft Zune, the iPod is perhaps the best known, having sold more than 100 million units worldwide.

With the aid of a computer, music lovers can copy albums or compact discs onto the MP3 players or download their favorite songs off Internet sites like I-Tunes, Rhapsody.com, music.download.com. and Napster. Many retail stores, like Wal-Mart, offer music downloads on their Web sites.

Many of these downloaded songs only cost a dollar or two, and MP3 owners can arrange them in any order they wish.

Additionally, many MP3 players now have the ability to download feature-length movies, television shows, audio books, games, photographs and podcasts.

"I download a lot of games and different genres of music," said Torin Johnson, 15, a Salina South High sophomore. "I listen to what my friends are listening to or download music videos."

Salina Central High School juniors Courtney Tejral and Colton Cox have 837 and 1,330 songs on their iPods respectively. Courtney likes hard core rock and ska bands with names like Real Big Fish, Grindcore, Day to Remember, Circus Survive and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. She buys most of her songs from ITunes.

"I'm constantly listening to my iPod," said Courtney, 17. "I listen to songs anywhere I go."

Colton likes alternative rock that ranges from a contemporary bands like Underoath and City in Color to rock band icons like The Beatles and Queen.

"I go with the flow of whatever I like at the moment," said Colton, 16, who also plays acoustic guitar.

Not just for teenagers

It's not just teenagers who are embracing MP3 digital technology. Older Salinans surveyed said they also enjoyed the large amount of music that could be stored in a flat, lightweight unit that easily fits in a shirt pocket.

Capt. Bob Budke of the Salina Fire Department has about 650 songs on his iPod that include Southern rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Allman Brothers and country artists like Toby Keith, Charlie Daniels and Kenny Chesney.

Budke said he likes using his iPod a lot while exercising.

"I can select my own playlist of music while I'm working out," said Budke, 45. "I pick a lot of fast-tempo songs when I'm running, a lot of rock songs to keep my pace up."

Brent Rupert, 34, a master patrol officer with the Salina Police Department, keeps a playlist of about 250 songs on his iPod. His eclectic mix of artists includes Kid Rock, Buck Owens, Nelly, Metallica, C.W. McCall and Anthony Gomes.

"Generally, I have it going randomly, but I can set it up for rock, country or rap," he said.

Alyssa Urban, 23, an administrative assistant for the city of Salina Planning and Community Development Department, prefers downloading entire albums on her Zune rather than just random songs.

"Albums are an art form, and I like listening to entire works," she said.

Like Kaylee, Urban's music choices are influenced by her moods. If she's in a mellow state of mind, she might turn to an album by alternative country singer Richard Buckner. To feel energized, she's apt to listen to The Sounds, a group that plays modern electronic music.

Randy Tolbert, manager of Radio Shack at the Central Mall, said new models of MP3 players are being released each year with features to appeal to more than just music lovers.

"You can rent movies now and download it from your computer onto an iPod," he said. "You can watch it on your iPod or hook it into your TV and watch it on the big screen."

Tolbert also has downloaded bestselling audio books onto his personal iPod, as well as about 300 songs ranging from the early rock of Elvis Presley to the classic country tunes of Patsy Kline and Willie Nelson.

Salinan Sarah Maass's iPod is equipped with music, movies, pictures and podcast options, but she mostly listens to downloaded country songs. Her favorite country performers are Reba McEntire, Sugarland, George Strait and Terri Clark.

As 4-H youth development agent for K-State Research and Extension Central Kansas District, Maass, 29, also gets recommendations from her 4-H kids.

"It's a great way to keep up with today's music," she said.

Not every MP 3 owner is a music fanatic. Salinan Mike Mattek prefers downloading syndicated news and information podcasts to music. Through I-Tunes, he gets Scientific American and ESPN podcasts for about $19.99 a year.

"I can get thousands of podcasts, updated daily," said Mattek, 44, a regional service representative at Salina Regional Health Center. "I get a lot more than I listen to, but I can listen to it while I'm traveling or anywhere."

Tom Wilbur, 54, is a Salina banker and rock 'n' roller who plays guitar for the classic rock band The Last National Band. On his iPod is an eclectic selection of music that includes contemporary rock, Christian, punk, classical and showtunes.

Wilbur, chairman of Salina's Bank VI, also likes to make what he calls "mix tapes" of music genres that include "hair bands of the '80s" and "alternative music by women." He counts among his favorite bands Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Radiohead, Third Day, Jars of Clay and Casting Crowns.

Only occasionally will he download older 1970s classic rock bands like Styx and Kansas.

"I get bored of classic rock because I played it all the time," he said. "I count on my kids to introduce me to a lot of the new bands."

nReporter Gary Demuth can be reached at 822-1405 or by e-mail at gdemuth@salina.com.