Fun Detour – Creating a New Vermont Playlist

A couple of years ago, while on our trip to Vermont, I was embracing the technology of the 90s, listening to CDs in the van. Meanwhile, Cade and Liberty were both listening to music on their headphones. After we arrived in Vermont, I asked them what they were listening to. To my surprise, we were all listening to similar artists with a heavy emphasis on Lord Huron and Noah Kahan.

Last year before we took our trip, I asked Cade and Liberty to both create a playlist of songs for the ride up to Vermont. The guidelines were simple: create a roughly 30-minute playlist with a Vermont vibe that should not include Lord Huron and Noah Kahan. Truth be told, I was not sure whether they would do it. I did give them a couple reminders. There was interest, but I know it seemed a little weird.

Meanwhile, I started forming my list, which ended up including ten songs. Always looking for a moment to share, I selected songs that I doubt either of them would know, and about which I would have a story to tell along the way. My list was steeped in nostalgia going back to songs I heard on the oldies radio station in my youth, as well as songs that reminded me of my college years, and songs from my early 2000s interest in Canadian folk blues.

The night before we left, I had not received anything. I began running through alternatives of just sharing my list with them. Before we left that morning, Cade and Liberty both sent me their Apple Music playlists. They took their playlists to the next level. Cade had the State of Vermont flag on his playlist, and Liberty had a photo of the fall colors surrounding the picturesque town of Stowe.

After we made it beyond Harrisburg and were headed towards Scranton, PA, I knew we were going to be on the interstate for a while. We each took a turn sharing our playlist, introducing the songs and providing some context for why we chose them. Liberty’s list had a strong hint of nostalgia for songs we used to listen to on vinyl and a song from a childhood movie. These were blended with songs of social activism and alternative rock including one inspired by classical literature. Cade’s list had an alternative vibe with songs sharing his dry sense of humor. He did squeeze in a newly released Lord Huron song. Their choices gave me a window into where they were in their lives and how they were interpreting their own Vermont vibes.

As we shared our playlists, it was an incredibly emotional experience that hit me hard. Oddly, there was intense concentration with lots of laughs and big smiles in between. It was a perfect moment stretched across a couple hours. As we reviewed the trip on our

way back to Maryland, each of us considered it one of the trip’s highlights.