It had been a long, hot summer week of bouncing from one pet to another, yet there was one constant that gave me so much joy.

I live in a valley, where the radio stations are separated by ridges and mountains, if not drowning out the last streams from New York City. But one channel refuses to be contained. There is a Top 40’s station from Connecticut conveniently sending waves of top hits into an eclectic Woodstock station, who graciously shares tunes from different cultures and decades.

Why is this interesting? It’s because for moments at a time, over a course of several days, I had heard amazing musical combinations that otherwise, I’d never imagine as the pair of odd stations dance between buzz and landscape, trying to find control.

A 90’s punk rock anthem’s chorus is dominated by ferocious bagpipes and fiddling.
Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” is wrapped in Baton Rouge jazz.
ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” switching seamlessly into traditional polka.
A country song that is perfectly paced to absorb “We Will Rock You”.

It’s as if they knew the other was there, interrupting each other nicely.