It’s about Tim

They want to close Pandora’s box

A few years ago my friend Tsuyoshi Fukumoto introduced me to Pandora and my sense of wonder in music was restored and exponentially expanded. I introduced a few other folks to it, feeling like a kid in grade school who was going to trump everyone during show and tell. My pal Paul Salcido wrote me and called it “mother’s milk for [his] 3 a.m. insomnia” after I told him about it.

I’ve got several stations, and many bookmarked tunes, in many genres. Take a peak at my profile if you want: http://www.pandora.com/people/ptkimrey.  A psychiatrist reviewing my profile might diagnose me as schizophrenic, but I know now that there are many out there like me. Folks who find themselves jonesin’ for some good old jazz for an afternoon, and later want to hear songs similar to that punk band that got them through the toughest days in high school. I have heard so many new songs, and BOUGHT many that I would have never heard had it not been for Pandora. Listening to Pandora is like sitting down with a friend in high school and having them say, “Oh man, you like Iron & Wine? You’ve got to hear Stew!” And here’s the thing I think the music executives seem to be missing: most folks don’t have that kind of time after college - we don’t have as much time to talk and explore music the way that we did then. I understand the need to make money and the need to have incentives for artists, but I hope something can be done to save Pandora. I’ll pay for a subscription if I have to, and probably still buy tunes because the only thing that comes close is satellite radio, and it really doesn’t come close. Call me socialist, call me a commie, but if there were some way of mixing NPR and Pandora I would be pleased as punch.

I’m pulling for you, Pandora. The Web will be a lesser place without you.