Listening to music while paddling?

Sorry that metal sound does not do it for me at all. Surprisingly, one of my most favorite all time songs is “Nothing Else Matters”, a soft orchestral vocal love song by Metallica. My one and only tune by that or any other similar group. I have several versions, even one sung in Gregorian chant.

Keep in mind that I was a teen in the 1960s, and grew up liking oddball sounds such as Ultimate Spinach. Spirit, and Beacon Street Union, the Bosstown (Boston) playlist from WBZ (Boston). My prefs strongly morphed into Classical, Renaissance, Medieval, Traditional pub style Celtic and other old world folk type sounds.

Musical preference is in the same arena as religion and politics. It isn’t worth debating or convincing. I was surprised that I enjoyed it when I found it, but happy I did.

Though I still prefer listening to my own thoughts while out on the water.

I recently did a sea faring song list for sailing. Found I liked the Canadian folk sound of Stan Rogers. His brother Garnet Rogers is good. Came across Nigthwish in the hunt. The Canadian Ian Tamblin has became a favorite. Mean Mary has songs I like also. Iron Horse is a fine driving banjo beat, and Death and the Maiden is on my sailing list. I heard Silver Dagger recently and went back and found Joan Biaz’s version. Lorena McKennit is a favorite. Then I have many old favorites from the 40s to the 80s. YouTube is great for coming up with new songs.

@castoff said:
The Canadian Ian Tamblin has became a favorite.

Ian’s song “Black Spruce” is very special. Bill Staine’s “Henri Leblanc” is another. Tanglefoot is (was) also Canadian with many stories from Canadian life and history in ballad form. Even a few songs about paddling. They used to visit a number of very small town venues in the Adirondacks, where I saw them several times, as well as major distant international scenes. Youtube them.

My go to urban paddling lake , Medicine, 5 minutes from the house has a nesting eagle pair.
I have enjoyed the eagles, while at the same time listening to the “rap” from the
wake monsters generating a water pile for the surfers/wakeboarders. They have some audio on
those bitches. It’s nice this time of year, the wake pushers are on the trailer

After my day trips on the canoe this past summer, I’ve had a kind of tradition on the drive back. I play Dire Straits “Ride Across The River”. I’m beat after a day of paddling, it’s a hot, humid evening, windows rolled down, this song playing. It’s a perfect end to the day.

@yknpdlr

Ian’s wood smoke and oranges is another one I like. I’ll check YouTube for your suggestions.

@TenaciousV said:
After my day trips on the canoe this past summer, I’ve had a kind of tradition on the drive back. I play Dire Straits “Ride Across The River”. I’m beat after a day of paddling, it’s a hot, humid evening, windows rolled down, this song playing. It’s a perfect end to the day.

interesting, could be a topic unto itself

  • I’ll often go with Bobby Darin ‘Beyond the Sea’
  • have some Ventures ready for after the ‘surf sessions’

(really, I’m not THAT old)

There is a whole genre of canoe related music folksong genre. I like the volumes of Canoesongs but they seem not to be available

Dave Hadfield had a couple of good albums… Northern Breeze and Wilderness Waltz
Enjoy Rileys Bait!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9g6yMA3aaE

@TreeA10 said:
Why go out to get away from it all only to take it with you?

Exactly; if I want to listen to the music, I’ve got the trip to the put in and the trip home. I much prefer listening to the sound of water slapping on the hull of the canoe, or the raucous call of a Pileated woodpecker, the chattering of those Belted Kingfishers, and if I’m lucky an Eagle or an Osprey. And if I’m up north the haunting call of the loon and my little White throat sparrows, who also come down here for their “Winter vacation” and sing their song to me down here this time of the year, “SWEET…sweet…CA-NA-DA…CA-NA-DA…ca-na-da…” Plus, you need to listen for turbulent water to warn me of something I may need to avoid? Why in Hell would I want to listen to something artificial when I could listen to these? Reminds me of the people sitting across from each other in a restaurant interacting with their PHONES instead of each other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIQWvENtw1I

I have paddled marathon races where a boat load near me had music playing loudly. Made me paddle harder just to pass them by so I could get out of range of the awful noise spoiling my time on the river.

Then there was the C2 during a Yukon race we came upon who had an electronic metronome clicking away at 72 spm. Once again, in the voyageur bow I upped my cadence and my team paddled at 80 spm just long enough to get away. In each of these cases, the music players unwittingly assisted in their race demise.

I say again, for all the music I have referenced in posts above, I never play any of it while actually paddling outdoors. It is only used during stationary dry land solo training or when traveling while enclosed in a vehicle.

My wife sometimes brings a Native American style flute with her when she paddles. When we relax, she may play awhile. It seems fitting in a sylvan environment. Lovely gentle wooden instrument, very organic.

I do the same with my flutes from time to time.

@castoff said:

I recently did a sea faring song list for sailing.

That was an interesting thread and I’ll thank you for it because Bruce Cockburn was mentioned. Look him up and found his “Arrows of Light,” which is my favorite music for the lyrics (three phrases in all), rhythm, and instrumentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9K26gUT_z4&list=UU1lWbG4KUsjxv8NCILn0Ejg&index=4