As a volunteer radio show host at a station out in Bemidji, Minnesota, I find myself often checking out new music. I subsequently find more music to love.

For example, until October, I had no idea Passenger had released a second album. It was in December that I discovered he has around ten albums as of today. I have loved almost everything I’ve heard from him and continue to share his music on my show. Most recently his songs “Keep on Walking” and “A Thousand Matches,” for example, are songs I share.

Check them out if you haven’t heard of them they are good.

Weird Al Yankovic was also a strange discovery, as I had heard of him but thought he was just an accordionist who played polka music. It was three years ago that I found out I was wrong thanks to ABC World News with Diane Sawyer doing a report on the release of his “Mandatory Fun” album and 50th birthday.

Since then, I’m always on the lookout for more Weird Al to feature in my show, or just for personal enjoyment. Chance the Rapper was another fun little discovery for me too, as one day his album “Coloring Book” just happened to be in the studio so I played “All We Got” and I loved it.

I could go on and on talking about all the great artists I’ve discovered and now love listening to both on-air and off, but that’s not what I wanted this piece to be about.

I wanted to try and persuade all of you as readers to check out some new music today.

Put down the top 40, country, death metal, old time rock & roll or even easy listening and take a few seconds to look for something new. You don’t have to like it right away but try it.

I certainly didn’t enjoy blues (my hardest genre to program currently on my show) the first few times I heard it, and honestly, I still don’t. But there are a few good ones out there.

I put down the country and top 40 genres for about six months after joining my station, and haven’t really gone back to them 100 percent since, especially with the fact that country music has started using drum sequencers, something I’m against in music because the sound is worse.

Use Pandora, Spotify or your source for music to just take a few seconds and explore some music that’s different from what you’re currently hearing. Open your ears and your mind, and (hopefully) be amazed by what comes through the headphones.

Take a spin of the radio dial one day and have a listen. My favorite stations here in town are 94.5 (the rock I play on the station I volunteer for), 97.9 (Christian contemporary), 99.9 (country when they’re playing good songs), 90.3 (Minnesota Public Radio) and 91.9 (Prairie Public Broadcasting).

There are so many more stations here in town. These five aren’t even half of them. There is sure to be something for you and your ears to take in.

Music is one of the best ways we have available to communicate with others and understand ourselves with. It’s also something we can easily share with others. Let’s enjoy it, share it and love it.

Follow me on Spotify if you want to discover new tunes – Rollie Dethloff. I promise I’ll follow you back.