The other day I decided to break out some of my old mix cds. It made me laugh to listen to each of the stages I was at when I made each of those cds. I found a ton of good songs I used to listen to all the time, but I had forgotten about.
It got me thinking about how I have such a deep passion and connection with music. Every song I listen to I associate it with some emotion, memory, situation, day, time, moment. Every time I listen to an old song I am instantly back at that time, memory, emotion or moment.
And I love that. I love music. I love the sounds. I love the way it makes me feel. I love how powerful it is.
For as long as I can remember I have had a passion for music. I remember in Elementary School belting out Celine Dion in my room, I remember watching the Broadway show Les Miserables and performing it in our family living room, and then I remember when Britney Spears made her debut.
Look out folks.
That is when it all changed.
I wanted to be a performer like Britney Spears. My parents enrolled me in voice lessons and the dreams began to flow. I had taken dance lessons before but I had stopped so I wanted to get back into dance so I could sing and dance like Britney Spears. I did all sorts of performances. I did fairs, school talent shows, I sang in the Canterbury Children's Choir, I even sang the National Anthem at a Redhawks baseball game. Although I was quite shy and almost had a heart attack before each performance, once I got on the stage I loved being on stage. I loved singing and I loved to move around with the choreography. I had stars in my eyes.
I remember throughout the later years of Elementary School and early Middle School I would dance and sing in my room. I would pretend I was on a stage and I would make up dances to go along with songs. I remember this feeling of freedom to be who I wanted to be on that pretend stage. And music gave me that freedom.
Well, years go by and I stopped performing. I would sing to myself and in my room but I never got back on stage. My passion for music still remained. Music became my outlet and I would write lyrics for songs. Through experiences of growing up my ties to music grew deeper and it became my way to cope. For a few years I went through a very dark, sad time and music gave me something to relate to and release through. And music helped bring me out of that dark and sad time.
I may be a little intense with how deep my passion is for music. I feel so much of it. I hear every sound and I hold on to every lyric so tight. And I hope that never fades away. I hope to be forever musical.
To this day whenever I sing, whether it be in my car or at church on Sunday there is a sensation that goes through my body. I love to sing. I love the release it is. I can forget about everything and just let myself go in the song. To this day when I watch a performance I get goosebumps. Although I wish it was me on that stage, I am so happy that other person gets to experience the freedom in the performance. And to this day I listen to songs on such a deep, connective level.
Music is never just something in the background to me.
It has and always will mean so much more.
Music changes lives.
It reaches people on a level that a normal conversation never could. It opens up dreams. It allows people to feel. It brings people together.
Music speaks.
Music is freedom.
"If music be the food of love then play on."
-Shakespeare
“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart & makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.”
"Those who danced were thought to be quite insane to those who could not hear the music."
-Angela Monet
“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul”
-Plato
“Music takes us out of the actual and whispers to us dim secrets that startle our wonder as to who we are, and for what, whence, and whereto.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Music is an outburst of the soul."
-Frederick Delius
“I've never known a musician who regretted being one. Whatever deceptions life may have in store for you, music itself is not going to let you down.”
-Virgil Thompson
"One good thing about music is when it hits you, you feel no pain."
Have a marvelous Monday ya'll!
