Music, to me, is one of those things that feels like it's ever-present, universal, something unchanging, independent of the human condition, but it most certainly is not. In fact, it is entirely dependent on people. I won't go philosophizing too much on this, because one could definitely get in too deep, but I will go on to say that for me, my love for music is completely tied in with my love for people, but specific people have shaped my interpretation and thoughts on music forever, so I thought I'd share a few examples of those people who I have to thank for pairing my ears with the good music and sweet associations I have today regarding music.
Let me start with my family. We listened to ABBA tapes, Prairie Home Companion on the radio, songs from South Africa by Mahlathini and the Mahotello Queens, and anything that had to do with folk dancing, Irish fiddle and Scandinavia. On top of that, we listened incessantly to musical theatre, as both my parents put on musical theatre productions together in my community, which my brother, sister, and I would occasionally appear in. In addition to that, we'd listen to classical music on the radio whenever we were driving somewhere. Popular radio? Top 40? Please. Needless to say, I failed any test of pop culture knowledge when I was growing up. I simply didn't know what people my age were listening to or talking about, and I didn't really care all too much back then (although I've tried to play catch-up).
But, certain people introduced new things to my ears, like my friend Maria who gave me an amazing jazz mix CD in high school, or my friend Rachel who changed my life by playing me her favorite fiddler's CD (woo Brittany Haas) and would have nerdgasms with me over her version of the old time tune "Ora Lee". There was Ben who got me so into Mason Jennings, an artist I didn't even know was also from my home state. There was my friend Tom who sweetly took me to see The Low Anthem and Lisa Hannigan play at a local Nashville venue, both artists I became immediately obsessed with after my first contact. My roommate Candace will always have Beirut associated with her and her smile, which I still think is the cutest in the world. And there are so many others... but music can have negative associations, too. I can't listen to Barbra Streissand, Elliot Smith, or Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros anymore. Any or all of these artists may be excellent, but I can't listen to them without thinking about something unpleasant, especially Elliot Smith:
While this guy is long gone, I once prepped for a first date by listening to his favorite music artist, which was Elliot Smith. I bought the albums and I did my homework so we'd at least have that to talk about and the date was pretty close to disastrous. Now all I can think of is how Smith's whining voice sounds slimy, just like the kiss I unwillingly received at the end of that particular evening. See what I mean? Pretty negative association with an otherwise good artist.
So, while I may not be in immediate contact with any of the people who introduced those favorites into my life, those people are with me every day in my thoughts, because those artists remind me of you, whether for the good or for the bad. Thank you for that. :)
Let me start with my family. We listened to ABBA tapes, Prairie Home Companion on the radio, songs from South Africa by Mahlathini and the Mahotello Queens, and anything that had to do with folk dancing, Irish fiddle and Scandinavia. On top of that, we listened incessantly to musical theatre, as both my parents put on musical theatre productions together in my community, which my brother, sister, and I would occasionally appear in. In addition to that, we'd listen to classical music on the radio whenever we were driving somewhere. Popular radio? Top 40? Please. Needless to say, I failed any test of pop culture knowledge when I was growing up. I simply didn't know what people my age were listening to or talking about, and I didn't really care all too much back then (although I've tried to play catch-up).
But, certain people introduced new things to my ears, like my friend Maria who gave me an amazing jazz mix CD in high school, or my friend Rachel who changed my life by playing me her favorite fiddler's CD (woo Brittany Haas) and would have nerdgasms with me over her version of the old time tune "Ora Lee". There was Ben who got me so into Mason Jennings, an artist I didn't even know was also from my home state. There was my friend Tom who sweetly took me to see The Low Anthem and Lisa Hannigan play at a local Nashville venue, both artists I became immediately obsessed with after my first contact. My roommate Candace will always have Beirut associated with her and her smile, which I still think is the cutest in the world. And there are so many others... but music can have negative associations, too. I can't listen to Barbra Streissand, Elliot Smith, or Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros anymore. Any or all of these artists may be excellent, but I can't listen to them without thinking about something unpleasant, especially Elliot Smith:
While this guy is long gone, I once prepped for a first date by listening to his favorite music artist, which was Elliot Smith. I bought the albums and I did my homework so we'd at least have that to talk about and the date was pretty close to disastrous. Now all I can think of is how Smith's whining voice sounds slimy, just like the kiss I unwillingly received at the end of that particular evening. See what I mean? Pretty negative association with an otherwise good artist.
So, while I may not be in immediate contact with any of the people who introduced those favorites into my life, those people are with me every day in my thoughts, because those artists remind me of you, whether for the good or for the bad. Thank you for that. :)