Anthony Rich

Recording industry insider, Anthony Rich

There is no better souvenir than one found through music, or so says our sales executive and former recording industry insider Anthony Rich, who is also the brains behind our Luxury Gold Spotify channel.

We decided to catch up with Anthony to find out more about what makes the ultimate travel playlist and what we should be listening to in some of our favourite destinations.

Before joining Luxury Gold, I worked at Jive Records, where I spent years building my career in the music industry, always on the lookout for exciting new talent. With a move into the travel industry, I am now able to combine my two passions, travel and music, as I craft destination focused playlists to get you excited for your upcoming trips.

A soundtrack for everything

My philosophy in life is that everything should be accompanied by a soundtrack, be it a special occasion, a celebration, day, evening or in this case a travel moment. There are only two entities that connect us as a global society, and these are music and travel. The economy, religion, politics and everything else out there are dividers but music and travel really allow people to come together and share key moments.

“Nothing will evoke the emotion like a piece of music you discovered on your travels.”

When you are traveling you can take a picture of a museum, you can bring back a souvenir, you can even bring back recipes from your favourite destination, but nothing will evoke the emotion like a piece of music you discovered on your travels.

For me, Pupo’s “Firenze, Santa Maria Novella,” takes me back to Florence, where I spend my first vacation with my partner. The piece inspires a sense of nostalgia, and I’m right back in Piazza DI Santa Croce, one hand holding my girlfriend’s the other holding an Aperol Spritz.

A local experience

Music and travel have changed drastically over the last 20 years. As travelers become more interested in getting a local experience, they are influenced by local music trends. If you’re traveling to Venice you’re not going to eat a hamburger, the same way your own local pop music might not be on the agenda. Instead you might set the tone for the cultural experience with some classic Italian music.

Technology is also influencing our music tastes. With more access to foreign music than ever before, through the internet and apps such as Spotify, we are becoming much more avant-garde in our approach to music and much more appreciative of different genres.

The perfect playlist

The perfect playlist does exist and here’s how to create it!

You’re not going to go to Venice to eat a hamburger. If you’re traveling to Italy you probably want to try some classical Italian music that reflects the specific region you’re traveling to.

From a mid low to high tempo, it’s important to mix it up. You may want a slow song to reflect you’re train journey or a more upbeat one for remembering the people you met on your travels.

It’s important to find songs that evoke the emotion of what inspired you to travel. If you’re traveling with a loved one, why not add “your” songs to the mix.

Your playlist should start with 25% more songs than you intend to keep. Make cuts when you’re confident you have selected all your potential options.

Mix the old with the new, don’t just focus on the classics.

Add some songs you don’t know much about. There should always be an element of discovery on a new playlist.

Don’t just create generic playlists. Rather than focusing on the whole of Italy or the US, the soundtrack should be about a specific journey or city, for example US national parks, Beale Street or Paris.

Lastly, come up with a really creative playlist name such as City of God, Beale Street Blues or last Tango in Paris.