Today is Sting's birthday. Here are three things he has taught me.

Happy 73rd birthday to the man Stewart Copeland calls "Stingo."

I should clarify that, while I did actually meet Gordon Matthew Sumner (a.k.a., Sting) many years ago, he has not personally taught me anything. We are not friends, which is unsurprising considering he is an international pop superstar and multimillionaire while I am a suburban dad who gets excited when I have $10 in my wallet.

What I mean is, as a fan of Mr. Sting's music for more than 40 years, I have learned a thing or two while watching him from afar. Or a thing or three, I guess, because there are three items on this list.

To wit:

(1) Make room for surprise in your life

Sting has said that, to him, the essence of all music is surprise. If he is not surprised in some way within the first 8 bars of a new song, he isn't likely to listen any further. It's why his own songs often use unorthodox time signatures or unexpected melodies. In a broader, non-musical sense, people like me – people who make lengthy to-do lists and like to plan their days down to the last detail – probably need to loosen up a bit and allow the universe to surprise them every once in a while. While meticulous planning gives you control, it also sucks away some of the joy of spontaneity. As I get older, I realize that life can't wait to surprise you, if only you will let it.

(2) You will never reach the point where you no longer need to practice your craft, whatever it is

Sting practices music every day. He plays complicated Bach sonatas. He studies intricately written pieces. He runs through rudimentary drills on his guitar. This is a 73-year-old, multi-Grammy-winning musician who still practices constantly, even on days when he doesn't especially feel like it. In any endeavor, being willing to sacrifice in the name of self-improvement is the one key to success we sometimes don't want to talk about.

(3) Take risks, and be willing to live with the consequences

Sting left one of the biggest bands in the world to embark on a solo career in 1985. He recruited young black jazz musicians to help him make a debut album that in many ways was nothing like the albums he had made with The Police. The fact that that album went on to sell millions of copies, while nice for Sting, wasn't the point. The point was that he followed his passions and made the music he wanted to make. Not the music he necessarily thought others wanted him to make. Throughout his career, this approach has sometimes produced commercial and artistic success, and other times has produced neither. Regardless, he has followed his gut and done what his heart told him to do. That's not nearly as easy as it sounds, but it's one heck of an approach to life.

What was the first song or album that you bought (or downloaded)?

There comes a point in the lives of most people when they develop an interest in music, and at first it's generally (but not always) the music that happens to be popular at the time.

The first song I ever bought for myself was the Men at Work hit "Down Under." I bought it in 1982 at Zayre's, a local discount/department store, on a 45 RPM record for something like $1.75. Maybe it was less, I can't remember.

I was in seventh grade at the time and the music of that 1982-84 era really shaped my taste for years to come. I still listen regularly to Men at Work, and particularly to lead singer Colin Hay, who has had a great solo career over the last 35 years. I even met him once.

From Men at Work I quickly branched out to The Police, Steve Miller, Duran Duran, The Fixx, Flock of Seagulls, Billy Joel, and a whole host of other artists whose 45s and cassettes I would regularly purchase. These were songs that had strong melodies, interesting lyrics, and quite often the combination of synthesizers and saxophones that I liked.

What about you? What was the first song or full-length album you bought? When did you buy it, and more important, why did you buy it? Feel free to comment directly here on the blog, or on whatever social media channel you use to access us (Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn).

Come and do the iPod Shuffle with me

It has been a couple of years since we last did the iPod Shuffle, the game in which you put your iPod (or equivalent digital music player) into shuffle mode and let everyone know the results, along with any commentary you would like to add.

No cheating on this, by the way. You have to report the first five songs that come up when you hit shuffle no matter how embarrassing they may be. Feel free to respond in the comments section of the blog itself with your results. Or, if you're someone who comes to us through Facebook, you can do it there, too.

Here's what my iPod just spit out when I let it go all random on me:

(1) "Seasons of Love" – Donny Osmond
Wow, that got really bad really fast, didn't it? There's no way I can justify having this song. It's from the musical "Rent," which of course is the manliest of all musicals. And it's sung by Donny Osmond who is, um, the manliest of all singers. I just really like the tune, OK? And plus I've seen Donny Osmond perform live twice, which is in no way something I should have just typed. Let's move on...

(2) "Going Somewhere" – Colin Hay
I have a lot of Colin Hay in my library. You'll remember him as the lead singer of the Australian band Men at Work back in the early and mid-80's. I've been keeping up with his solo career ever since and even got to meet him 10 years ago. Good guy.

(3) "In Your Eyes" – Peter Gabriel
This is a hard song to escape if you listen to radio stations that play 80s music, as I do. It was probably the prom theme at a few schools back then, and it actually holds up well over time. Also, it includes some vocal work by Youssou N'Dour, a Senegalese musician who has never gotten the credit he deserves.

(4) "Message in a Bottle" – The Police (Live in Boston - 1979)
I have 11 different versions of this song in my iTunes library. Some are live, some are recorded. Some are by The Police, some are by Sting as a solo artist. And one is by a band called The Swingers, who recorded an entire album of Sting covers as cheesy, horn-based instrumentals. This is probably my second favorite Sting-composed song behind "The Lazarus Heart."

(5) "Grim Cathedral" – David Francey
Chances are you don't know who David Francey is, though his name might ring a bell if you're Canadian. Or if you're into folk music. If you're a Canadian AND a folk music fan, then you darn well better know who he is. David is an outstanding musician from the Toronto area who has won multiple Juno Awards, which is like the Canadian Grammy. He's also a Facebook friend of mine who might see this, so if you could pretend that you're as big a David Francey fan as I am, I would appreciate it.

Bringing back the iPod shuffle

On two previous occasions, we played the iPod shuffle game on this blog (here and here). The idea, as you may recall, is to put your iPod or other MP3 device − we're not Apple-specific here at They Still Call Me Daddy − on "shuffle" mode and post the first five songs that pop up, no matter what they are.

I'll give you my list here, and you're welcome to offer up yours in the comments below. Here goes:

Scott's iPod shuffle results - 3/20/13

(1) David Francey - "Red-Winged Blackbird"
I love me some David Francey. He's a Canadian folk singer-songwriter who looks like he should be the guy who comes over and remodels your kitchen. And in fact he DID used to be a carpenter/laborer. I highly recommend his stuff.

(2) Sting - "St. Augustine in Hell"
Have I told you guys about the time I met Sting? I can't remember if I've relayed that story here. I probably have. Two or three times. I forget these things. Anyway, Sting is my all-time favorite. I've seen him play live nine times in 25 years. This song isn't among my top Sting tunes, but it's enjoyable.

(3) The Police - "Can't Stand Losing You"
Speaking of Sting...One of his better songs with The Police. I think the BBC once banned it because it dealt with the topic of suicide. But that was more than 30 years ago. No one would even think twice about the subject today.

(4) Sheila E. - "The Glamorous Life"
Yay, a woman! Sheila E. is extremely talented. And she's still out there making music. She was in Cleveland a few months ago with Dave Koz's band, and I'm sure she sang this, her signature tune.

(5) Quarterflash - "Harden My Heart"
Yay, another woman! Well, the lead singer/sax player in Quarterflash, Rindy Ross, is a woman. Always liked the tenor sax part she plays in this song. As I understand it, Quarterflash is still going strong, but they'll forever be filed under "One-Hit Wonders" on the strength of this little ditty, which hit #3 on the Billboard charts back in 1982.