Cruising into work today, I was jamming to some old school song on the radio. It didn’t take long before I was transported to a very specific memory in my past. One song that could literally bring back an entire night of memories. I got a little nostalgic and started thinking about how much music feeds my soul.
The first album that I remember personally owning was Urban Chipmunk. Which is funny because I never really liked country music until I was in my 20’s. However, I clearly remember singing the extra squeaky version of I Love a Rainy Night one million times while dancing around my canopy bed.
My musical tastes definitely improved fairly rapidly in middle school. Most of my friends were crushing on roller rink tunes and Two Live Crew tapes. I was completely and totally in love with the Beatles (thank you Mom) and Boy George. My friend Caroline and I collected Boy George pins from the local Peaches Records and Tapes. I loved going through their big wooden boxes of albums and choosing that random 45 that I was in love with.
Fortunately my Mom didn’t have much of a conscious when it came to music so really awesome albums like Prince’s Purple Rain and the Violent Femmes quickly made it into my rocking arsenal. Even though I had access to great tunes, popular culture didn’t pass me by. I was definitely prone to letting radio hits sneak into my mixed tapes and I am pretty certain I could still remember the moves to Goin’ Back to Cali that my friend Renee and I created one night while surfing her waterbed.
It wasn’t until high school that I really began to diversify my tastes. MTV was all video’s and heavy metal hair was way too in style. I totally didn’t mind a jamming to Gun’s and Roses with friends but my yellow water-proof Walkman was loaded with the likes of The Cure, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam. It was also about this time that live music began to have a huge influence on my life.
I wish I could remember my very first live concert but I honestly don’t. We had this outdoor water park that had one hit wonders on Friday nights. We would stand around in our bathing suits and watch various shows. The only one I know I can remember is Salt-n-Peppa. Yeah, that should be embarrassing.
Sometime in my sophomore year, my then boyfriend introduced me to some great live shows. Mostly shows that included body surfing and head banging which was totally not my style but I can say that I got a boot in the head at a Primus concert and saw NIN before they were even popular. The random part of that was I took him to see Bryan Adams because “our” song was the theme song to the movie the Three Musketeers.
It wasn’t until my junior year in high school that I really came into my own tastes. I fell into a “hippie” crowd that loved the Eagles, Dead, Clapton, Pink Floyd among others. Large stadium concerts became a regular occurrence and I had the privilege to see some of the biggest names possible. There is something amazing about being 3 rows back from the world’s best guitarist singing my favorite song ever.
My love for music only deepened and I spent years collecting CD’s and listening to bands that most people had never even heard of. I craved intimate venues and live music. I made a habit out of memorizing every song, to every band so I could recognize them within the first few notes.
When I went to college, I found out that there was a whole other music scene of Indie Bands. Groups with $5 CD’s and cover charges. Where your best friends have learned every song too and the lines in the men’s room are always shorter than the women’s. I learned to appreciate the “unknown” band and the occasional cover song.
It wasn’t until I was a bit older that I really realized how music had attached itself to every memory, every moment of my life. It followed me through heart breaks, friendships, marriage and mommy hood Through change and growth. Songs had literally become a part of my soul. They had wrapped themselves into my DNA so that now when I hear them, I can be taken back, to that very specific memory, that perfect moment.
Music feeds my soul and then makes it crave more. More of the past and more of the future. The perfect song for the perfect memory.
Just one click on my Ipod and I am cruising the beach in my Jeep or running across the finish line during my first 5k.
Soul feeding…
Ahhh! I can totally relate. Isn’t it crazy how music can do that? And how our taste in music changes or expands with age? Love it!
I NEED music to run, it’s as if my legs are controlled by the tunes. and, I need to drown out my panting. I think the first CD I owned was Spice Girls. 😛 Great nostalgic post!