What role
does music play in your life?
My first memories
of music begin with Sesame Street, Disney, and Annie LP Records I still own and
that I re-discovered during my recent visit to my parent’s home in AL. I told them they could sell most of them;
however, I did ask to keep the Annie record. Both my children wanted to see the
new Annie movie that was out over the holiday break mostly because they’ve
heard me sing Annie soundtrack songs to them since they were little. (Whenever
there’s complaining going on around the house, I break into, “It’s a Hard Knock
Life for YOU! It’s a Hard Knock Life for ________-insert child’s name here.)
In the house
I grew up in until I was 12, we had a playroom upstairs with a line strung
across the back dormer window area where we could hang a sheet for putting on
plays and such. I would spend weekends setting up a “tent” in this room to
sleep in. I always made sure I had my small “boom box” tape player with me, and
I would spend hours in there listening to my favorite 80’s artists (Madonna and
Michael Jackson in particular). I took
my style from Madonna in elementary school, wearing numerous jelly bracelets up
my arm. I even choreographed and performed a dance for the school talent show
to “Like a Virgin.” I won’t go into how I feel about that now. J I obviously didn’t truly understand what
that song was about then, and as a parent now, I understand why my mom didn’t
make a big deal out of me choosing that song either because I’ve been through
similar situations with my own boys. Let
children be children as long as long as they can…Innocence is fleeting, unfortunately.
As I grew older,
music became more a public pursuit for me with singing for the church choir,
singing solos for special music at church, and participating in church
musicals. I took voice lessons briefly
and piano for 7 years. My claim to fame with piano was receiving an honorable
mention at a competition in Tuscaloosa. Doesn’t sound like much, but it was
pretty special because I barely remember playing. My dad drove me down (from
our home town-about a 3 hour drive), and I started getting sick (a stomach
bug), so I had my dad pull over several times, so I could throw up. He kept
asking me if I wanted to go back home, and I told him no. I was going to go to
the competition. I made it through, not
expecting anything but to say I played, so the honorable mention was icing on
the cake.
Once I got
to college and beyond, music became therapy.
Now, when I hear songs from that time period, I feel the pain, joy,
depression, or energy I had at the time the music was popular. Music was one of the things that helped me
process life, just like writing. It’s
cathartic. I can’t imagine my life
without it.
Over the
last year, I have enjoyed driving again (after not really driving for 17 years
while on the island) because my car is filled with music every morning and
afternoon for the 30 minute drive to and from work. I can sit in my bubble and
sing to my heart’s content, feeling joy, love, sadness at times, and hope.
Music touches our souls, speaks to our hearts and educates our minds in a way
that everyone can relate to. We may be attracted to different types of music
(country, rock, blue grass, alternative, R & B, classical, jazz, or multiple
kinds), but it speaks to us and teaches us just the same.
What role
does music play in my life? It is a part of me. If I were to make you a “mixed
tape” like my friends and I did for each other in high school, that tape would
tell you as much about me as multiple, multiple blog posts might describe to
you because it would express my deepest emotions, my greatest joys, and my
biggest regrets and be able to represent my past and my present all in a couple
of hours worth of powerful words and beautiful melodies.
What does
music mean to you?
“Speak
to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in
your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:19-20
“He
put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:3
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