My Playlist

About the DJ: My name is Audrey, and I’m a “homeschool” student finishing my junior year of high school at Edmonds Community College. I come from a very arts-involved family, but my personal passions include debate, current events, law, business management, economics, event planning, and applied psychology. In my spare time, I read everything I can get my hands on, and I delight in playing guitar and ukulele badly.

1. Northwest Folklife
Although I’ve lived in Seattle my entire life, I had never been to Northwest Folklife, so I seized the opportunity to visit the 43rd Annual Northwest Folklife festival last weekend with some friends. Thousands of people celebrated the cultural roots and folk influences of the Pacific Northwest by immersing themselves in music, art, and dance. There was an incredibly diverse range of performers at the festival: choirs, bagpipers, a marimba band, celtic musicians, ukulele players, a high school jazz band, and a rock band decked out in pink tutus, just to name a few. This annual event captures the heart of the Northwest community, highlighting the artistic talent and historically diverse culture of the region.

2. Numb3rs
Disclaimer: This is a nerdy show. However, it is also a really good show. Set in the Los Angeles office of the FBI, Numb3rs presents two brothers who work together to solve crime. Don Eppes is a FBI special agent, and his younger brother Charles Eppes is a brilliant mathematician who holds a professorship in applied mathematics and does consulting for the Bureau. Numb3rs doesn’t disappoint the typical crime show fan, but it also offers an unusual twist by unleashing the real life application of math in an entertaining manner. There are six seasons available on Netflix, and Neil Patrick Harris makes a guest appearance in one of the first few episodes, so you basically have no reason not to give this show a chance.

3. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
I recently finished Corrie ten Boom’s The Hiding Place, and was completely inspired. I wanted to read more stories from the people who persevered through World War II, so I began reading Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl. I’m part way through, and I’m blown away by the insightful nature of her comments. Both of these books give a uniquely human perspective of history, and I wholeheartedly recommend you read them.

4. “Eye of the Pyramid”
Released this May by The Voice’s Season 5 finalist Will Champlin, “Eye of the Pyramid” is a catchy and insightful single about the materialism of society. This song is constantly stuck in my head, and the lyrics remind me to pursue truth and love, and to avoid being hypnotized by the promise of money. I love when a talented artist uses their skills to encourage others with a beautiful song and a positive message.

5. Koyaanisqatsi
This film from the 1980s is unique in its cinematography, score, and script (or lack thereof). There are no spoken words in this movie, except for an occasional Gregorian-style chant of the title word. It doesn’t have a plot, per se, but the message is loosely crafted around the theme of “Koyaanisqatsi,” the Native American word for “life out of balance.” The movie compares the balance of the forces of nature with the frenetic hustle and bustle of human activity, contrasting the raw power of natural forces against destructive human activities. Koyaanisqatsi is a fascinating and thought-provoking philosophical work, and especially recommended for anyone interested in the artistic history of film or movie production techniques.