MUSIC.
How important is music to you?
I’m sitting here, like I do a good many mornings, enjoying the last private place on the planet – behind headphones and my music collection, letting a carefully randomized set of songs set my mood for the day – and pondering the importance of music in my life.
I don’t remember the first song I ever heard – but I remember the most important ones – the ones that stuck. I remember in DETAIL that “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” played on the little Polaroid picture cube in my childhood home and I remember the scratch in the middle of the “Ain’t She Sweet” 45 by the Beatles (later being amazed that there wasn’t a scratch in the original song when I heard it again as an adult). I remember the theme songs to almost all of the cartoons I watched growing up. I remember hearing the pep band in grade school preparing to play “Africa” by Toto before a home basketball game. I remember a friend playing The Violent Femmes for me in their car and the way REM “Document” sounded through my Walkman. I remember requesting “Farewell My Summer Love” at 2am for the girl who went back home to Kansas after the Summer. I remember the excitement of my mom handing me Kiss “Dynasty” after coming back from a bus trip – playing it and memorizing every word. I remember Dave playing Jellyfish over our PA on break at Macduff’s. I remember slow dancing with my wife at our wedding reception to “Dig Down Deep”. I remember playing “In Your Eyes” with my band for a talent show. And crying singing “Daniel” at my Uncle’s wake…
I could go on and on.
The essence of it is this: Music means everything to me. Songs are the precious luggage tags that attach themselves to the people, places, experiences, feelings that live in memory.
These days, they are also a reminder of the blazing speed at which time passes. But it’s still nice to know that behind these headphones a song can pause and rewind time when necessary…