I love music of all kinds. Our music collection runs the gamut from country to rock to jazz and classical and a little bit of Indie. I have Sirius Satellite radio, and my cell phone is also an IPod. I surround myself with music all day long. And because it has always been that way, I remember prime events from my life not by dates, but by songs. I hear songs, and can remember when...Remember when my bestest friend and I sang along and joked about being the Woo Woo girls for Elvis (even though he had been dead most of our lives)...remember singing "Stand By Your Man" when I was 5 with all the twang I could muster...Remember standing in that recording booth at Kings Island with my best friends in high school singing "That's What Friends Are For." I also hear songs and feel the emotions from the lyrics. "Godspeed" by the Dixie Chicks always makes me think of my son and smile. "I Hope You Dance" is my song for PB. Music touches my emotions in a way that television shows and movies aren't able to. Listening to the congregation sing Silent Night in candlelit church on Christmas Eve always chokes me up. My family always teeses me about having kleenex available.
My family has different levels of musical attachment. My husband also likes many different types of music, but can take it or leave it most of the time. My oldest loves Top 40 and a little bit of country, just like so many other teenagers. She doesn't want to learn about or appreciate anything that wasn't a hit sometime in the last 10 or so years. She does occassionally ask what a song means, but most of the time could care less. PB loves all types of music...the more upbeat, the happier she is. I sometimes catch her choosing to watch the videos on CMT instead of the latest show on Nick or Disney. She will sit and draw and color while the radio plays in the background. She loves to sing along and she wants to know the artist and title for every song on the radio. She sings me songs about her day that end up being 15 minutes long. My son also loves all types music. If you ask him what his favorite song is, he will tell you "Sweet Home Alabama." He also loves "Who Are You" (my husband watches a lot of CSI). His current love is Christmas songs. I admit that our family saturates itself in Christmas music from Thanksgiving until sometime after Christmas. The other day, sitting at a restaurant waiting for our food, my son busts out "the very next day, you gave it away"...yes, the Wham song. He strums his guitar, and sings songs that he's made up...And says things like "Let's rock it out now" and "Thank you for coming out to hear us." That boy has never been to a concert in his life, but can quote concert comments like a seasoned roadie. I hope that he enjoys a vast musical buffet as he grows too.
What part does music play in your life?
6 comments:
Music is a huge part of my life and I think it is so important to the way the world works. Having gone to an arts school from the 6th grade until I graduated high school, having learned to play piano during most of those years, having been "forced" to attend opera, symphony & ballet performances, as well as being part of our own high school musicals (which were pretty much on par at the time with anything that Broadway could produce)... music was very much integrated into my soul. I love all kinds of music (except gangsta rap)!
I listen to alot of radio... I have always listened to Pop/Top 40 stuff and still do. My husband likes country... I can handle most of it (I can't get into the preachy songs too much, though). Love jazz, classical, some R&B, hip-hop, some gospel (old school), showtunes (yes, I'm a geek like that!). I love listening to music from other cultures, too.
I'm always singing along or humming a tune in my head. And I, too, remember alot of things by a particular song. Love music!
I remember so much through the music that was playing in my life at the time. So many songs hold dear (and some not so dear) memories for me. My hub, not so much. He could take it or leave it.
It's funny that you wrote this post when you did. I've been going through a depression, and just realized that I hadn't been listening to much music lately. I decided to change that THIS WEEKEND. The kids and I have been listening to and dancing to music like crazy. We LOVE it! It's seriously helped me.
We are music FREAKS around here. Even the Hurricane shakes his little booty and does a mean headbanging thing whenever he hears anything resembling music. He has major garage band potential.
GcQ - Maybe we should get our boys together in a few years...they can support us in our later years!
Over the past 5 years the "Children's Music" genre has crept into our collection. I have always liked "They Might Be Giants" and was thriled when they started producing music for kids. There are other former 'pop' artists who have made the crossover to kids music; Ralph Covert, formerly (and now currently again) with "The Bad Examples", Dan Zanes from "The Del Fuegos". These guys are cool. And their "kid music" is easy on adult ears too! I don't listen to much radio anymore, except in the car.
I still say we can be the Woo Woo girls for Elvis. I hear he's alive and well in Wyoming, working at the Winn Dixie. ;)
I'll call soon...I promise!!
-J
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