“What’s on Your Playlist?” It’s the question Christian Joyce asked every month since his first article in the September 2020 issue of This Awful Awesome Life.

I’m including the link to each of his articles instead of trying to rehash what he wrote, but I want to break down some information about the choices he made.

He decided to feature four albums each month. It allowed him to recommend albums from diverse groups without his column looking like a laundry list. He meticulously researched each album and the artists/bands he selected. Then, he outlined the major points he wanted to cover, documented his sources, and chose the photos and videos for the article. He emailed me everything and then dictated each paragraph to me. It was a slow process, but it was such a privilege to work with my son. While we worked, we listened to the albums.

Christian chose 24 albums by 24 different artists/bands. Thirteen of the albums were recorded by women or bands with female lead vocalists. He listened to an eclectic mix of music in different genres and selected albums to feature from many indie artists/bands instead of better-known mainstream artists/bands. Thirteen albums were released in 2019 or 2020 and eleven albums were earlier works of artists/bands or works from bands that are no longer together or have recently reunited. Christian believed in supporting artists/bands of color. Several artists/bands on his personal playlist were people of color and he enjoyed sharing them with you. He had so many wonderful plans for this column. He had several months’ columns planned with spaces for new albums and artists/bands waiting to be discovered. It’s so hard for me to believe the February issue was his final one.

I struggled to finish February for him and while I love music, I don’t listen to music the same way he did. I don’t always pick up on subtle nuances in the lyrics or feel the tonal changes in the music. I can’t do what he did. These six columns are his legacy and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as he enjoyed writing them for you.