There comes a time in our lives when we must admit that perhaps our musical tastes have changed. Perhaps we no longer rock out to the Spice Girls or Ace of Base. And that’s okay. In fact, it may be more than okay. I believe heavy Spice Girls consumption has been linked to rare psychological diseases in apes. (Human trials are still pending.)

All kidding aside, I needed to weed through my CDs.

Now, you may scoff, saying, “CDs? Really, who listens to CDs? Why don’t you put all that on your iPod?” My best answer to this question is… I should. I should take the time to make my CD collection digital, but I have a shameful secret… I’m a technophobe. I have an iPod, but I haven’t added any music to it since before my kids were born. I use iTunes about twice a year, as often as I visit my dentist. I’m just old school… or lazy… or a busy working mom of triplets. Or all three. In any case, I had a hefty CD collection that needed sorting and I (along with my loving husband, Josh) tackled this task a couple weekends ago.

Here’s a pic of Josh, in the thick of it:

Like a good declutterer, Josh had conversations with his stuff as he decided what to save and what to toss. “Goodbye, Pantera,” he said, as he placed a once-loved disc on the donate pile. (And really, doesn’t every heavy metal thrash band deserve such a touching farewell?) I was impressed with Josh’s ability to sort the loved from the unloved, the listened to from the dust collectors, the keepers from those who needed to pack their musical bags and find new, eager ears.

We ended up with this: a pile of CDs to donate, a pile to toss (which wouldn’t include any illegally burned CDs, no sir!), and two CD organizers to keep: one large one for the house and one smaller one for the car.

There’s something refreshing about a pared-down musical collection. It allows you to showcase your true musical tastes without the distraction of tunes from days gone by. It reflects who you truly are, at this moment, not who you thought you were in 1996 when you were filled with teenage angst and only Alanis Morrisette understood you, baby.

Does your music collection need a little refresher? Could you weed out some old tastes to highlight the new? Go for it! (And hey, if you still rock out to the Spice Girls, I’m sure those ape trials were faulty. There’s nothing damaging about a little “Wannabe” now and then!)