Mussie Fitsum – Music to Curator Interview

1/ So First Off - Tell Us your Name, City and Country and what you currently do for a living?

My name is Mussie Fitsum and I am from Silver Spring, Maryland in the United States. I am currently a rising senior at the University of Maryland. I also have my own music blog, tuneexpressions.com, which I have been very lazy with. I am hoping to revamp it this summer though with a consistent posting schedule.

2/ Is This Something You Always Wanted To Do?  What Do You Enjoy About It?

Becoming a music curator is something I have always wanted to do ever since I learned about it. One aspect of music curation that I enjoy the most is selecting songs that fit a certain mood that I want to convey.

3/ Tell Us About Your First Musical Memory - Why Do You Think You Remember It?

My first musical memory is when my parents used to play (I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be) Free/One by the Lighthouse Family when I was five years old. Whenever I hear that song these days, a wave of nostalgia hits me and reminds me of my love for music. I think I still have this musical memory because I was very young and it was at a time where I moved from Germany to the United States.

4/ Who Did You Make Your First Mixtape / Playlist For - What Was The Result - Did They Dig It?

I used to only make playlists for myself but the first person I made one for was my ex-girlfriend back in my freshman year of college in 2016. She really enjoyed it, which made me love making playlists even more.

5/ What Made You Go Online And Search About Music Curation?

I went online to search for music curation opportunities because I wanted to express my love for music on a good platform. I happened to stumble on Musicto and loved the community aspect. Now I can share my thoughts on different music tracks and listen to some dope playlists curated by my peers at Musicto.

6/ Tell us about the name of your Playlist - where did that come from?

I have always loved outdoor activities like picnics, hiking, sports, etc. But I especially love going on picnics with people or even by myself just to chill out. Taking a break and getting away from all the city noise is very therapeutic for me. I also like to play certain types of tracks while I am on these picnics that fit the mood and complement the sounds of nature. So, I decided to make this my MusicTo playlist to share the tracks I like to play on picnics and submissions that fit the theme with listeners.

7/ What does a track have to have to make it onto your list, is there something special that you look for?

For the most part, I would like for tracks on my playlist to have a mellow instrumental with a bright and colorful sound that compliments the outdoor vibe of a picnic. I also want tracks on my playlist to have either a light subject matter or an uplifting message. I made an exception with Feels Like Summer by Childish Gambino, but the songs on a picnic playlist should not be depressing for the most part.

8/ What can an artist do in their track submission to your list to ensure that you'll listen to their track?

To ensure that I will listen to their track submissions, artists can explain to me how their song fits the vibe of a picnic. For this playlist, I am more focused on the sound of the track rather than what the song is about.

9/ We know - these change all the time - but as of this week - what are your all-time top 5 favorite tracks.

My top five favorite songs of all time at this moment would have to be:

1. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor

2. Adaptation - The Weeknd

3. 90210 - Travis Scott

4. Rock My World - Michael Jackson

5. Mr. Rager - Kid Cudi

10/ And finally - which Music to Curator should we interview next?

I would like to learn more about Nikola Batinic from Music to Get Addicted To.