Music Protects My Sanity

Carolina Rebellion 2011

            When life is consumed by chaos, a lot of us fall back on something that restores balance. For some people, this is a glass of wine (or three) after a long day/week. Some of us play video games to relieve stress and tension. And then some of us *cough* gorge ourselves to death on Godsmack.

            Godsmack has always been one of my favorite bands, ever since I heard and became addicted to “Voodoo.” It was different from anything else I was hearing as I was beginning to explore my own musical tastes. It appealed on a level that 13 year old me probably had little hope of understanding. The tribal beat combined with rock and roll can almost be a metaphor for my life as it is now.

            A combination of current and something that most people wouldn’t expect.

            In the middle of a tidal wave of change, I’m grounding myself by gorging on Godsmack. For going on three weeks straight. Bear enjoys the band, but not this much. Luckily for him, I get my fix going to work and coming home. In the car, alone, with the volume under my complete control.

            Aggressive, subliminal, meaningful are three words that come to mind when describing Sully Erna’s brain child. His voice has always captivated me. It’s low, there’s a growl to it at times, but there’s also a certain quality that can carry you away as he sings about “the spiral never ends.” At the risk of sounding cheesy, it speaks to me. The same way Lzzy Hale’s voice speaks to me.

            Some bands, you know you’re just stuck with for life. The music they create will never leave you, even if you go years without listening to it. Music is eternal. It is the “universal language, a true blessing you know” as Pitbull says.

            And it’s keeping me from falling out in the floor under the weight of all this change in my life right now. So, with that in mind!

            Sully, take me to the moon!

            What is your go-to band when you just need a fix of something to get your head back on straight?

Every Day Magic Part 2: The Song

            Last Sunday, coming home from Cuz’s birthday party, I heard a song for the first time, a little tune that spoke of being royal and ruling, by a sixteen year old from New Zealand. I enjoyed the tune, but didn’t think much about it until Wednesday, when the song would not leave me be.

            I have a theory that music is a state of mind, and that what you listen to says a lot about your state of mind. In particular, I think if you listen to many types of music, then you’re more inclined to be open minded in general. It’s not the music responsible for you being open minded, it’s just the way you’re already thinking. Or that’s my humble opinion.

             My state of mind is that I’m open to different things, but the message I am always looking for is an expression of who I am, written and sang by people I’ve never met. I look for expressions of love and accomplishment, trial and loss. And every now and again, I just want something I can tap my foot to. I consider it part of my job as an aunt to introduce my nephew to different music. He has his own playlist on my Galaxy player, originally because Shuffle might play some explicit stuff he does not need to hear yet. Now it has become a question of what to put in the playlist, what to introduce him to next.

            I recently came across a discussion on Facebook about the song “Blurred” and an argument of whether or not it should be banned from the radio because it was about rape. I didn’t see where the original poster was getting that idea from and the discussion leaned towards it is one stupid song out of a million that means nothing, that will be forgotten in five years. It doesn’t matter. That got me to thinking about the songs that do matter, that we will remember not just in five years, but in twenty. I think Mackelmore’s latest is one. Every time I hear it, I think that it’s something significant, that it carries a message we need to hear and as such, it will survive. Whereas “Blurred” will pass on as the latest pop song takes the throne of temporary love.

            There are the songs that matter, the ones that take our breath away with the emotion they convey, and there are the moments in music where the every day magic invades our lives again. A meme is floating around on Facebook about the song that we love so much, we play it until we absolutely hate it. Therein lies the magic. It is fleeting, but it is there. It is the magic that comes with a new song that captures our attention because something in it touches our souls on levels that we don’t always understand.

            “Royals” is doing that for me at the moment. It invades my thoughts and my heart and I see a message of the life I plan to lead in its lyrics. At the moment, I cannot get enough of it. It is magic because a perfect stranger from half way around the world has written something that resonates with me. It’s a connection on the deepest and most abstract level. Magical.

Music is Life

            Some people in this world think you’re crazy for paying eighty bucks to see live events, which is what my ticket to the Carolina Rebellion cost in May of 2011. It was so worth it though, because the Rebellion was a festival, with multiple bands playing. It was an all day thing and even though traffic was horrible and the lines were terrible, it was still one of the best experiences of my life. Why? Because of the music.

            Music is a major part of my life. I don’t sing or play an instrument, even though I know a few chords on guitar. I can’t read sheet music and I haven’t taken a music class since chorus in middle school, but music is still part of my every day life. I’ve often been listening to a song that shakes me to my very core and I wonder, how can people not get this? But I suppose music is just a very individual thing. A friend of mine is obsessed with the Mass Effect 3 soundtrack and I just think “meh.” So I do understand that not everyone gets carried away by the same thing.

            Pawpaw was the one who taught me to love music, and he taught by example. He played guitar and took me to bluegrass festivals and fiddlers’ conventions. Over the years, I realized bluegrass isn’t really my thing, but those memories are special to me. Music is special to me, and even though we weren’t always on the same page in regards to genre, I play songs on my computer in his memory, and it sends chills down my spine.

            I would gladly pay eighty dollars to attend the Carolina Rebellion again. I would pay eighty to see one of my favorite bands in the traditional concert setting, which brings me to what inspired this blog. Halestorm was at the Rebellion, but because of really crappy traffic, we missed them. Since then, they’ve hopped in and out of Charlotte several times and they’ve even been to Asheville, but I couldn’t go. Now, I got an e-mail on Sunday informing me that they’re coming back to Asheville in December, and nothing is going to stop me from seeing them this time. Why is this so important? Because their music is fantastic. It applies to my life (yes, I just went there) in ways that few do. Plus, I love Lzzy Hale’s voice. Halestorm gets me and it gets to me, and that is a beautiful thing.

            Music is a part of my life and I suspect it always will be. I am not a maker of music, but I am a writer, and I am capable of describing how music makes me feel. Quite frankly, it makes my spirit soar to fantastic heights, something that few things in my life are capable of doing. It moves me, makes me feel, reminds me that I’m human and that I’m alive. Across many genres and thousands of artists, music is one of those things that is universal. Celebration and commemoration, our purposes for it are as vast as the songs that make up the Amazon and iTunes stores. It is one of those things that the world would be a much sadder place without and this week, I give thanks that I have access to music from across the world, and that I can listen to it at the touch of a fingertip.

            Music is the beat of the heart in life.