XM Bootcamp II in Retrospect

I’ve been enjoying my first day of post-Bootcamp XM listening (well, as much as I can enjoy listening while really working), and I have to say that Bootcamp worked — about half of my listening time today was spent on channels I “discovered” during Bootcamp (namely XM Live, Real Jazz, World Zone, and XM Music Lab).

What did I discover at Bootcamp?

I like more kinds of music than I thought I did

The channels which I liked more than I expected came primarily from the “Country,” “Urban,” and “Dance” categories. Before Bootcamp, I claimed I didn’t like country music at all, I expected “Urban” music to be synonymous with Rap, and hadn’t listened to “Dance” at all.

Good music didn’t stop when I left college

The 80’s was one of my favorite channels, earning a B+. And several of the channels which got a B or B- play music from the 90s and today.

Good music didn’t start when I entered high school

I liked the 40’s, too. And I liked many of the classical and jazz channels, of course.

Some channels are ok in small doses, but a few minutes at a time is plenty

The dance channels fit this description really well; so does Ngoma, Fungus, and Boneyard

I like music better than talk

The only “Talk and Variety” channel I gave a favorable rating to was Discovery Radio, and that was partially out of guilt and partially because it was early in Bootcamp. True “talk radio” channels interested me even less than variety and comedy channels did. If I participate in another Bootcamp, I won’t even bother with any non-music channels.

My Bootcamp Awards

Most Pleasant Surprise: A three-way tie, between Luna, Bluegrass Junction, and World Zone. Honorable mentions go to The System and On The Rocks.

Biggest Disappointment: This one clearly goes to The 70’s, for playing music I’d spent decades trying to forget I’d ever heard.

Best Music to Work By: Another tie, between Luna, Real Jazz, and XM Pops. Honorable mentions go to XM Classics and Watercolors.

Worst Music to Work By: There’s no question here; it’s Suite 62, because my thoughts when listening there are definitely not work-related.

Most Predictable: XM Live — Red publishes the schedule well in advance, and it’s a good bet that if I like the artist, I’ll like the hour, and vice versa.

Most Boring: This is a two-way tie between Radio Disney for their all-Hilary Duff format and Sunny for their devotion to elevator music.

Most Fun: On The Rocks is the clear winner here among the channels; Phlash Phelps and Heidi Selexa being the winners among the personalities. XM Kids has its moments, too.

Least Fun