#MUSICMONDAY: MUSIC WE WORK TO.
Whether it be a cup of coffee or a quick scan of the Washington Post, everyone has a kickstart to their daily routine to get that productive energy flowing. For us here at GSATi, music can be one of the greatest motivators on a hectic day. Introducting MondayMotivation: Music We Work To. #GSATiFamily members share 3-5 song YouTube playlists of their favorite music to work to. Sit back, click play, and enjoy. This week feature's John Cockerham's eclectic, electronic playlist titled "Taking Back Monday." Let's find out what John has in store for us.
Name and position with GSATI?
John Cockerham – Business Analyst
What songs have you got for us today?
Just a few songs from my personal collection of favorites. I hope you like them.
Fly Me Away (Ladytron Remix) – Goldfrapp
“This is one of my favorite songs because it’s one of those ones I know I can listen to and always feel happy and maybe even a little more energetic! I think it’s the perfect Monday song (Fly Me Away… lol) because it has this escape feel to it. That probably sounds counterproductive but the steady beat of the song is actually amazing for focusing. The escape is more about shaking the Monday blues, not your work. When I listen to it in a working context it makes me think of solving problems and feeling good about getting all that beginning of the week stuff done.”
Moby – Natural Blues (Sander van Doorn Remix)
“I just heard this remix for the first time recently but I also like the original song by Moby. When I heard this one I knew it was a great song for work because it has this great percussion, heavy layered synths, and the repeated vocal line that pulls you in and creates a story. It’s also not too complex to be distracting.”
Neon Indian – Change of Coast
“This one is a straight-up California Dreamin’ kind of song. It makes me think of the beach, sunlight, movement, the city, etc. It’s motivating for me because I feel like I can channel that movement and level of activity into work.”
Grimes – Realiti
“I love this song. It took me a few listens but once I listened to it more deeply it sunk in. “Welcome to reality” makes me think “it’s Monday, you’re here, so get to work”. The line “every morning there are mountains to climb” always puts things in perspective. It reminds me that everyone is striving towards something or dealing with their own struggles and that you have to keep going.”
Kelela – Send Me Out (Girl Unit Mix)
“Kelela is one of my favorite new artists to come around in the past few years. I love the music in this song and think everything about it is so powerful. It makes me think of persistence and being resilient in a tough time. It also makes me think of being very passionate about something which is why I like listening to it at work.”
What’s your favorite genre of music?
I know it’s such a cop-out answer but I can’t pick just one. My taste in music has changed so much over the years and it’s been influenced by too many different genres to just go back to one. I can honestly say I listen to a little bit of everything, from classic rock to R&B, pop, soul, punk, blues, electronic, instrumentals, soundtracks, classic country, folk, etc. I definitely care more about artists than genres. I love a good guilty pleasure song every now and then too. I think it’s fun to know about/listen to/participate in different sides of our music culture – which is now this crazy global, multi-faceted creature that offers endless opportunities for exploration.
If you had to pick any artist you’d have to listen to for the rest of your life, what would it be?
That’s a really tough question! One artist that comes to mind is the Mamas and the Papas. I love their era of music because to me it sounds and feels timeless. If the question was that you had to pick one decade of music to listen to I would say the 60s. Maybe it would make sense to pick an artist with more material or an artist who still has the potential to release more music in the future. I’d spend way too much time thinking about it.
We couldn't agree more. Huge thanks to John for sharing his music selections with us. For more from the #GSATiFamily and what keeps us going, visit gsati.com/blogs. For now, here's John's full Taking Back Monday playlist, courtesy of YouTube.
