Music

I was raised by two music lovers. There was always music playing in our house. For many years, we didn’t have a TV, so our family entertainment revolved around music. It was usually opera or classical playing, and jazz when my mom wasn’t around - she never quite took to my dad’s love of jazz.

One of my fondest memories is sitting with my mother listening to music and talking about how it moved me… I was 11 at the time and just figuring out the kind of person I wanted to be, the kind of life I wanted to live. What I realized then was that for me, music was not just something I loved, it was foundational. I still remember my first major purchase, when I was in my 20s -- the very first time I bought anything more than $50 for myself. It was an expensive receiver, CD player -- it was the 90’s -- and two Bose speakers. It felt great!

I used to dream of a career where I could play music for people all night long, sharing my passions and discoveries. But the life of a DJ was never in the cards for someone who falls asleep at 10 PM! 

When I became a Yoga teacher and realized – hey! -- I could make playlists that would move and inspire and comfort and delight people, it became one of my favorite parts of teaching Yoga. From the beginning, I’ve put so much time and love into my playlists. Thankfully, that has struck a chord (pun intended) with many of my students.

I have more than 1,000 playlists on Spotify (handle Mellyrusso), all open to the public. My most recent ones have FTB (From the Bunker) in their title. Enjoy!