"Music" is a broad term. And, to be honest, my personal definition isn't much more narrow. When I say "music", I generally mean anything from the silly songs I've sung with children at various places I've volunteered, to the stuff you buy at CD shops and listen to on the radio. Most of the time I mean the latter.
I'm not just being cheesy when I say music is connected to the soul. Listen to a random piece of music and take note of how you feel while listening to it. By reverse logic, the music I listen to is largely determined by how I feel. If I need to calm down, I'll listen to some Loreena McKennitt or Enya. Celtic sounds such as these tend to have a soothing effect on me. Now, if I'm angry and don't really WANT to calm down (as sometimes happens), I'll blast some Aerosmith or Alanis Morrissette. And to truly burn out that anger, putting on a little Godsmack will do the trick. If I'm feeling angsty, then it's Tori Amos or Melissa Etheridge. And, on occasion, I will listen to some classical music. My favorite composer in this area is Bartok.
Below is a list of my current favorites.
OK. All nice and updated. A couple of new links, though not a whole lot has changed for the moment. It *is* quite a hodgepodge, isn't it? That's about all I have for now. The list will change as the mood strikes.