What Are You Listening To?

Three New Yorkers take off their headphones and chat. 

by Jeremy Glass

Carson, 35

So what are you listening to, Carson?
At this very moment? I've got some guitar jazz on. It’s from North Carolina, where I'm from.

Does it have a distinctly Southern feel to it?
Maybe, yeah! It's a local musician named Cool-John Luke.

That's pretty ballsy to have “Cool” right in your name like that. Is he cool?
He was! He was an older guy, so I think he'd probably earned that nickname over time. I saw him at an outdoor concert I went to with my parents.

So what do you do?
I work in renewable energy. I used to work for G.E., I'm now finishing up my MBA. I was a part-time MBA student, and now I'm now finishing up my MBA full-time at Stern.

How do you calm yourself down after a long day of renewing energy?
I do yoga. One of the musicians I really like from that scene is Wah! 

Listen: “Is It Love”

New Age-y type stuff?
Totally. It's a little like Enya.

So, do you have a guilty-pleasure song?
Well, I have a few of them actually. I like Sheryl Crow's “Soak Up The Sun.”

Ah yes, the classic summer song from ten years ago.
But, if I have one thing that's a guilty pleasure, it's Taylor Swift “You Belong With Me.”

Listen: “Soak Up the Sun”

Ah yes, the classic summer song from ten years ago.
But, if I have one thing that's a guilty pleasure, it's Taylor Swift “You Belong With Me.”

Listen: “You Belong With Me”

If you had to pick one theme song for your life, what would it be?
“Islands in The Stream,” by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rodgers. 

Listen: “Islands in the Stream”

What do you think Dolly Parton is up to right now?
Man, she is looking fantastic as always! She is loving life.

Nickelback. Thoughts?
No. But can I tell you another great song?

By all means, yes!
There's this really great song by the Bee Gees. It's called “One.”

What does that song evoke for you?
It's talking about how two people should become one. It's a cool love song.

Listen: “One”