Last month I went on a canoe trip that went horribly wrong. The bears ate our food, I got sick with a fever, and we were stuck in the middle of the wilderness because the 
weather was too bad to get out. There were moments when I wondered if we were ever going to make it home. Two things got me through it: my friend Andrea’s amazing sense of humor and my iPod. Seriously, I don’t know how I would have endured those long nights with the storms and bears threatening outside the thin nylon walls without headphones in my ears. And it wasn’t just the noise blocking out the sound of the wind – it was the music comforting my soul.
I have always been entranced by music. Maybe it goes back to the Lionel Richie records my parents used to spin or the John Denver my dad used to strum on his acoustic. I eventually started my own stack of albums – Michael Jackson and Journey come to mind. As a teen, my brother introduced me to Pink Floyd, REM, Jane’s Addiction and other epic bands that started to sculpt my true appreciation of music and who I am as a person.
My life became a connect-the-dots journey from show to show. From Prince to The Dead, I couldn’t get enough. Big, small, local, international – I had to experience them all.
That’s the thing with live music – it truly is an experience. It goes beyond hearing and seeing the performers – you become part of the music along with the crow
d around you. Nothing compares. I am now the 35-year-old who may stand out among the teenage fans, but I’m still there! Granted, not nearly as often, but I can never go too long without getting my fix.
Live music addiction aside, my point is that music in general, even through the ear phones, is truly essential to my being. It pumps me up, chills me down, keeps me company, opens new worlds, bonds me with like-minded people. It is my muse and my constant companion.
My current tastes trend more on the mellow side. Jason Mraz is my favorite. Newer comers Matt Nathanson and James Morrison are also a great pleasure. Old favorites like Bob Mould and The Dead have a regular place on my play lists. And, of course, I still like to keep my heart young with some good dance tunes and a little bit of funky once in a while. I recently went to a spectacular Lily Allen show and felt 18 again.
Writing about music feels kind of like writing about your family. You could go on and on and on, but the subject is so personal that nobody probably cares. How can you really express love on paper? So, I conclude with a favorite quote...
Music's the medicine of the mind. ~John A. Logan
weather was too bad to get out. There were moments when I wondered if we were ever going to make it home. Two things got me through it: my friend Andrea’s amazing sense of humor and my iPod. Seriously, I don’t know how I would have endured those long nights with the storms and bears threatening outside the thin nylon walls without headphones in my ears. And it wasn’t just the noise blocking out the sound of the wind – it was the music comforting my soul.I have always been entranced by music. Maybe it goes back to the Lionel Richie records my parents used to spin or the John Denver my dad used to strum on his acoustic. I eventually started my own stack of albums – Michael Jackson and Journey come to mind. As a teen, my brother introduced me to Pink Floyd, REM, Jane’s Addiction and other epic bands that started to sculpt my true appreciation of music and who I am as a person.
My life became a connect-the-dots journey from show to show. From Prince to The Dead, I couldn’t get enough. Big, small, local, international – I had to experience them all.
That’s the thing with live music – it truly is an experience. It goes beyond hearing and seeing the performers – you become part of the music along with the crow
d around you. Nothing compares. I am now the 35-year-old who may stand out among the teenage fans, but I’m still there! Granted, not nearly as often, but I can never go too long without getting my fix.Live music addiction aside, my point is that music in general, even through the ear phones, is truly essential to my being. It pumps me up, chills me down, keeps me company, opens new worlds, bonds me with like-minded people. It is my muse and my constant companion.
My current tastes trend more on the mellow side. Jason Mraz is my favorite. Newer comers Matt Nathanson and James Morrison are also a great pleasure. Old favorites like Bob Mould and The Dead have a regular place on my play lists. And, of course, I still like to keep my heart young with some good dance tunes and a little bit of funky once in a while. I recently went to a spectacular Lily Allen show and felt 18 again.
Writing about music feels kind of like writing about your family. You could go on and on and on, but the subject is so personal that nobody probably cares. How can you really express love on paper? So, I conclude with a favorite quote...
Music's the medicine of the mind. ~John A. Logan
Jen,
ReplyDeleteYou know I can totally relate to your post. I love how you said that music is "truly essential to my being." Me, too! There is nothing like getting goosebumps or being moved to tears at a live performance when you can feel the bass in your chest and the lyrics hit your heart. A-ma-zing.
So happy to know that I've got a fellow music-lover & concert-goer in my midst.
Rock on!