WONK WONK WONK WONK WONK WONK – not my idea of a good start to the morning. But then I was gifted a radio/music alarm and I was able to start my day with music. This was so much better. I think it happened right before I went to college; the details are fuzzy. Funny thing though, I can still remember most of the wake-up songs I’ve listened to over the years. It takes a special song to withstand the day in, day out abuse of being listened to, particularly once further burdened with arousing my morning state of wakefulness. It’s an arduous assignment, so when a winner is found, I’ve tended to stick with it for as long as I can stand it.

Currently I wake to Uncommon Ritual, a beautiful Christmas gift from my equally lovely sister. The title track of of the album, it is a recent release from a trio of self-established musicians Edgar Meyer (Bass), Béla Fleck (Banjo), and Mike Marshall (Mandolin). I highly recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind music demanding their concentration.

I remember being introduced to Béla Fleck and the Flecktones in high school by my friend Katy, who lent me her four disk set and told me to listen to it all. I tried. I honestly did. But for a guy who listened solely to Dave Matthews Band and Coldplay, it was too much. I liked the first few tracks and then it got super weird and I quit on the second disc. I returned the CDs, thanked her, and merrily went on my way, back to digest sugary tones of pure pop.

And now I can’t stand the stuff, except in small doses. Tastes change.

It’s very close to changes in your food palate, really. As a child, I abhorred certain foods, well, beans mostly, lima, kidney, brown, white, or black-eyed. As I grew older either my taste buds wore down or textures became more important, because after years of patient perseverance from my mother I’ve found myself liking all sorts of foods I previously avoided. Flavors taste differently; I’ve become less enamored of sugars, and enjoy the previously bitter alternatives.

So it is with music. When I began college my musical horizons expanded. Although I believed I knew the definition of good music (doo-wop, and alternative pop), I began to listen, even force myself to listen to new music, whether I liked it at first go or not. And just as I avoided becoming a picky eater, I made musical discoveries, coming back to give styles another shot, even when my preconceptions yelled “stop”. Now, to be candid, I’ve still found the musical equivalent of brusslesprouts, a food I’ve yet to enjoy, but I’m the richer for it.

And now I find myself waking up to Uncommon Ritual, which is exactly what my wake up routine has become. How appropriate.

How do you wake up?