Spring has arrived! And in spite of the occasional frigid flurry, legions of green have renewed their tenacious attempts to reach the sun, while birds and bugs weave their consonant croons into warming winds. All this bustle stirs the soul to song! But where? Where to find a melody to match the burgeoning furor of spring? Well, you have certainly come to the right place; here at the library we have a plethora of digital musical media that you can access right now!

Freegal is a surprisingly massive online streaming service that can be accessed for free with an Eau Claire library card via internet browser or the Freegal phone application. Once logged in, you can explore the catalog by artists, albums, and genres or just check out what’s new and trending. This service allows you to create and share playlists; you can even share your playlists with the library! In addition to unlimited streaming, customers can also download up to five songs per month in mp3 format.

Featuring pop artists from Beyoncé to the Bee Gees, architects of rap and reggae, champions of classic rock to contemporaries of country, and everything in between, Freegal can transport your eardrums most anywhere they’d like to be.

Keep an eye out for staff-picked Freegal album recommendations coming soon to L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library! Update! Look here: www.ecpubliclibrary.info/freegal-picks

But what if you’ve heard it all? Have you been listening to music since the crack of cannons or the dawn of soul? If new and near is what you crave, Sawdust City Sounds is just the thing!

Sawdust City Sounds is a large collection of music by local artists, curated by local music enthusiasts. You won’t need a library card or any other credentials to hear some of the latest sounds from the Western Wisconsin scene, simply navigate to the website in your preferred browser. Similar to Freegal, music can be streamed and downloaded for you listening pleasure, with no limits. For the newest of the new, be sure to check out this playlist featuring tracks from the nineteen most recent album additions to the collection.

And if you need a book to go along with your symphonic sensations: Those looking for a deep dive into the psychological aspects of music and how it affects us as individuals should check out This Is What It Sounds Like by Susan Rogers. This new exploration in the field contains analyses of various facets of music, complete with an extensively curated track list to entertain your ears and exemplify unfamiliar concepts. For a more anecdotal history of the various ways that music can affect the mind, be sure to give Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks a go.

So, whether you’re out for a sun-soaked walk or escaping a rainy evening inside, grab your favorite headphones and stream something new (or old) to compliment the seasonal symphony.