Music moves me. Where? Into segments and times in my life. Into memories good and bad. It moves me to tears when I am not sad and euphoria when I am just hanging out. I think that if it weren't for music and the power that it wields in my life, I would feel an emptiness, a flatness that would be unbearable.
I am listening to some old Crosby, Stills, and Nash and being transported into another realm, not good and not bad, just different than where I am now.
I remember watching Josh (our now 31 year old son) as a toddler in diapers run to the living room anytime a certain song by Steely Dan came on our stereo. He would bounce up and down and throw himself into the song and the moment. I realized at that point that we are all born with an inherent response to music and rhythm. It doesn't always translate into being a musician, singer, or even a person with the ability to stay on pitch. It does translate into a part of ourselves that is touched only by music.
Why does everyone have a favorite song, or make mixes that are all about a season. or event, or an era? Because music touches something deep and primal in all of us and captivates that part of our soul that lays dormant to be awakened only by the kiss of a note, a melody, a rhythm.
My first conscious memory of loving music and loving how it transported me somewhere was as a little girl. My dad would play Ravel's "Bolero" on our Hi Fi (yep that's what we called our record players back then, high fidelity:) I totally imagined the march into the stadium of the bullfighters in Spain. I had no idea what either of those really were at that time, but the music literally painted the picture and the emotion for me. I was hooked. "Stomp" was an amazing odyssey into rhythm and joy of sound and movement that turned my head and heart more recently. My dad always inspired me through playing the piano, and having an amazing well-rounded record collection. My mom, alas, was tone deaf, but that didn't stop her from loving music and dancing to it (my parents were amazing dancers!).
To me I saw music as something to love and find joy in even when hard times happened. Every relationship, every stage of high school and college and beyond has its musical score and when a strain of one of those songs hits my ears it hits my heart as well.
Our creator knew what he was doing. There is rhythm and melody all around us everywhere, everyday, for everyone.
What piece of music has moved you recently and why? What older piece of music draws you back to an earlier season in your life?
-Marsha Lang
It's interesting you mention this Marsha, I went over to Josh's earlier this week and there he was, bouncing up and down in a diaper throwing himself into Steely Dan and the moment once again.
ReplyDeleteCCR, ZZ top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Van Halen, Willie Nelson, Alabama and many more bring back memories of childhood vacations. We had an old van, red carpeting wall to wall and no air conditioning, with a great tape player that allowed us to sing on road trips.
ReplyDeleteHeather McReynolds
I'll never forget as a little boy being totally captivated by the music of The Band as my dad was watching The Last Waltz on A&E. I also remember watching SRV's last live performance on Austin City Limits. Those two memories move me mostly because I was just sitting with Dad. Both of us being taken in by the music. Even now, whenever I visit my parents back in Richmond, VA, my dad will randomly put The Band or Stevie Ray on the record player...er... HI FI...
ReplyDeleteWhenever I hear the band "America," I remember the horrible crush I had on all 3 members, and how I would agonize over deciding which one I wanted to marry!
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