"Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.”
Recently a friend of mine wrote a blog about the soundtrack to their life. That along with NPR's recent stories about music that we either inherited from our parents, or that drove our parents crazy in the process got me thinking about musics impact on my life. Music is everywhere, and part of our daily lives and routines in ways we may not even notice. All of us have a different relationship to it and it's something, I would think, is a deeply personal one. So we all approach it a different way. For some it's simply background noise. Something to break up the monotony of the sounds around us. Others simply listen to the instrumentation, the arrangement of the chords or the catchy hook that is stuck in your head all day long. Some get lost in the lyrics, finding a connection to the moment the writer is expressing or experiencing. Then there's those where it's a combination of all of those. For me it takes listening to a song several times before I fully understand it. It's like a puzzle that I have to completely dissect first, before reassembling it piece by piece.
The first time through I listen to the song as a whole. Finding similarities between it and the music catalog in my head. Similar hooks, chords, phrasing. Then I listen to it again. This time stripping it down in my head as if I have the sound board, focusing in on specific tracks within the song itself. The drummer: is he just keeping time, is he keeping it simple with the occasional fill, is he trying to hard and distracting from everything else, or is it the organized chaos of a Keith Moon. The bass line: is it steady, is it complimenting the drummer, solidifying the rhythm section, or is it Sting or McCartney making it the lead. Guitars: Is there a riff ala Joe Perry, is it one guitar or two, how well do they work together, do they compliment the lyrics, or do they make a melody all their own in the process. Finally I focus on the lyrics, making a connection to them before listening to the song one more time as a whole. Granted it's a very analytical way to approach it, but that's just how it's always worked in my head. I have to be able to understand it before I decide if I like it or not.
Music has always played a big role in my life. For my family it's the common ground. The place where we can all relate to one another. Dad plays guitar and sings with the church choir. Mom plays piano and sings barbershop. My sister started out on piano, added guitar, french horn, along with several others, and sings both in church and with her own band. Even became a Band Teacher and is already adding her kids to the family soundtrack. I started off playing Trumpet, moved to Trombone, added a little piano, sang a bit. I don't currently do any though I've been considering picking things back up recently after realizing the importance it has in my life.
My first memories of music's role in my life involve a sauce pan, a wooden spoon, John Williams and the Boston Pops, conducting with the big headphones on in front of the stereo. A little later on I can remember sitting and listening to my Dad playing on the guitar. Mostly it was Peter, Paul and Mary. Specifically "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "The Marvelous Toy". I also remember watching the various Peter, Paul and Mary concerts as well as John Williams and The Boston Pops with my parents on PBS. To this day those are still very fond memories. In my younger years my musical exposure was limited to what my parents listened to. So it was The Beach Boys, The Beatles, John Denver, Chicago, Tijuana Brass, Cream, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, Temptations and Stevie Wonder. From those it expanded when in 1987 I was exposed to MTV. For those of you under 25, they used to actually play music not just shows that make you lose 50 IQ points by watching. I distinctly remember the first one I ever saw. The King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, glittering glove and all. Shortly after that came Bruce Springsteen and the Born in the U.S.A. album and thanks to my friends, much to the pain of my parents ears, Van Halen. Followed by Bon Jovi, GNR, and Poison.
By the 90's the big hair was quickly replaced with flannel as Pearl Jam and Nirvana came into the picture via KISW 99.9 out of Seattle. Being a kid living in the Pacific Northwest it may have been different from other places. But grunge hit like an atomic bomb, changing the music culture overnight. Out went the big hair, in came the flannel, and combat boots. There probably wasn't a garage band anywhere that didn't have "Smells Like Teen Spirit" immediately added to their repitiore. Along came Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and Alice In Chains. Pearl Jam's Ten brought reinvigorated the music video as an art form. "Jeremy" truly had spoken and his voice was rock. Throughout this I continued expanding my eclectic tastes. Boyz II Men gave rebirth to Motown along with Prince. En Vogue and Babyface.
Also about this time I started playing Jazz. Discovering Miles Davis, Theloneous Monk, Gershwin, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong, Maynard Ferguson, Dizzy Gillespie, Doc Severenson, Branford and Wynton Marsalis, Frank Sinatra, and Harry Connick Jr. Later this also brought along Michael Buble
The mid 90's brought The Dave Matthews Band along with Hootie and the Blowfish. Goo Goo Dolls and re-juvinated Aerosmith. Singlehandedly starting the careers of Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler. After Joshua Tree, WAR, and The Unforgettable Fire, U2 triumphantly returned with Achtung Baby. During this time I also introduced myself to the classics. Classic Rock that is. Zeppelin, The Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Rush, and The Who. Partly due to a lack of choices on the radio dial, but also it was what I most identified with.
Since then I've grown along with the music itself. Going from CD's to MP3. Loving the portable MP3 player and the discovery of Napster. Then dying a little when the government shut it down. Eventually giving in to ITunes and an IPod. Finding Weezer, Bare Naked Ladies, and Ben Folds Five. Enjoying not only the music they make, but the tongue in cheek lyrical wordplay as well. Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and the evolution of Dave Grohl from drummer of Nirvana to frontman. John Mayer and the progression of both singer/songwriter as well as guitar virtuoso.
That basically brings us up through today. Those are the things that have made up the soundtrack to my life thus far. I still have a love for all things 60's Motown, an appreciation for the tight harmonies of The Beatles and The Beach Boys. The simplicity and elegance of a Lennon/McCartney song. The sheer complexity and organized chaos of Monk, Coletraine and Davis. Along with the pure unbridled energy The Stones still bring to the stage. I hope the music continues to expand as well as my appreciation for it.
How do you relate to music? What role does it have in your life? What artists have had an impact on you? I've already picked the topic, so discuss amongst yourselves. Though preferably do it right here.
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