Michigan's 'Hold' Music Gets Much Hipper

LANSING, Mich. - Last summer, the state Department of Management and Budget got an unusual request from the governor. Jennifer Granholm called to ask if something could be done about the boring acoustic music that people heard when they called the state and were placed on hold.

 

 

 

"She thought we should have cool music," DMB director Mitch Irwin told The Daily Oakland Press for a story Wednesday.

 

 

It seems that the "hold" music had been set on piano and guitar instrumental since 1996 during Gov. John Engler's administration.

 

 

Irwin set up a committee to try to juice up the state's 60,000 phone lines. First, officials tried to rock the phones, but after a few caller complaints, Led Zeppelin's and Jimi Hendrix's music got dumped because "it was a little too hot," Irwin said.

 

 

Then, they tried all-Michigan artists, but abandoned the idea because "it was too limiting."

 

Finally, they settled on 1950s and '60s oldies.

 

 

Now on any given day, callers may find themselves listening to the hits of Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Chuck Berry, the Beatles, the Temptations or Fats Domino.

 

 

Provided by Muzak, as was the former music, the service costs the same as in the past — $800 a year — but it seems to be getting good reviews from callers.

 

 

"I've had people say, `Hey, put me back on hold, I wanna hear the end of that song,'" said Jeanette Doll, who works as a secretary at the DMB.

 

 

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I guess 8 hours of Eminem was too much