My sophomore, junior, and senior years, I took drafting. I thought I wanted to be an architect. By the end of my junior year, I realized it wasn’t going to happen. It just wasn’t in my soul. But for some reason, I went ahead and finished up the whole three-year drafting, taking the two-block drafting III class.

During our senior year, the teacher — an odd fellow who, judging from his hair cut and ties, was definitely stuck in the 70’s — allowed us to listen to music while drafting.

Choices, choices.

My friend and I set out to find the perfect drafting album, to match the list of perfect albums for this or that activity.

A few albums that made it into my personal rotation with a great deal of frequency were…

  • R.E.M. Document
  • Metallica …And Justice for All
  • Sonic Youth Daydream Nation
  • Pink Floyd Momentary Lapse of Reason
  • Anything from Gabriel-era Genesis

Were I to do any drafting now, I’d more likely head to Thelonious Monk or Chick Corea, Bill Monroe or Lightening Hopkins.