Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Saturday, June 18, 2016
When the Music Comes Back to Me (Soundtrack of My Life)
How many songs do we hear in our lifetimes? Thousands? Millions? Each of us probably hears at least one new song per day if we are out and about or listening to some kind of media. Often we might not even notice, but the songs are there.
In this post I offer another in my Soundtrack of My Life series. Robin at Your Daily Dose has been doing the Soundtrack of my Life posts on her blog for a while now. I had done a few of my own "life soundtracks" on my Tossing It Out blog as well as the song series (starting at this post) I did for my 2014 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge on Wrote By Rote. Be sure to visit and follow Your Daily Dose for more Life Soundtrack info. If you like you can listen to this version of "Lover, Come Back to Me" while you read the post.
Evocative Music That Haunts Us
Of all the many songs we hear in our lifetime, some we like, some we don't, and some are basically background noise like an unnoticed soundtrack of a film. The music is always there even if only in our heads or some faraway place in memory. Why are humans so drawn to music? Or more specifically, why do certain songs tap into some distant hidden place within us?
Even for those who may claim they don't like music, don't pay attention to it, or willingly resist it--what would the world be like without music. Think, if you will, of a movie without a musical score or television commercials with no trace of music. Okay, some do exist, but not many. Think further of a club or a party with absolutely no music--that might be your preference some times, but most people might find this a bit awkward. Music is a soundtrack to many things. Even armies march to music.
Music can affect us in the moment or take us back into our pasts. Therein lies what is for me a mystery. Why do certain songs affect us deeply? Sometimes the melodies haunt us like ghosts, while sometimes they softly brush past us like a soft kiss of a loved one from another time and place. A sweetness of sound. A stirring that is as vital as the sound of our own breathing and our hearts beating. There are times when a song comes back to me and reminds me of something specific or some vague thing that I can't quite recall.
Recently when I saw the the film Deep in My Heart, I heard a song that I hadn't heard in many years. "Lover, Come Back to Me" is a tune that I've heard since childhood. It's a song that has been recorded by many artists. The melody is the kind that seems melancholy and poignant even though many of the recordings are done in an uptempo jazzy style. Even with that happier sound, this melody makes me reminiscent and perhaps a tad sentimental. To me it's just that kind of a melody. Maybe it is attached to some specific childhood memory or perhaps it merely evokes some undefinable wistfulness that is attached to a time, a place, or even a person. Or maybe it is just one of those kinds of songs that causes a gentle swell of passing emotion. There are songs like that for me.
I wonder if others feel the same way about certain types of melodies. There is probably no universal melody that moves all of us in the same way. Undoubtedly some of the feelings brought about by music are generational, cultural, or based on personal experiences. What works for me might not work for many people or maybe no one else. Still these types of evocative melodies and songs are part of my life soundtrack.
If my life were a movie, I'm sure "Lover, Come Back to Me" could work well in a scene or two. To me it's a beautiful song and I can't explain exactly why.
What songs move you deeply? Do you prefer slow songs or faster songs? Why do you think our memories are stirred by certain songs?
If you haven't voted on my most recent Battle of the Bands post I hope you will by visiting Tossing It Out.
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Marvin's Records
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| Vinyl record collection at student-run CKMS station at the University of Waterloo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
From the title of this post one might expect a story about a store called "Marvin's Records." My dear friend since high school, Marvin, would love to have owned a record store. He used to talk about it a lot when we were younger and had more time to dream. His dream even captivated me. A record store seemed like a great business to run--selling our favorite things while listening to music all day. What a dream job that would have been!
As things turned out, neither one of us ever opened a record store or even worked in one. I went my way which kept me touring with a stage show for years and then later managing a costume supply company. Marvin worked a series of jobs mostly in manufacturing industries. He stayed in Tennessee while my destiny landed me in Los Angeles. We both married and started families and bought houses to settle down in lives a couple thousand miles from each other--literally worlds apart. But there was one common bond that remained between us--a love for music.
In high school, as our friendship developed starting in senior math class where we sat next to each other at the back of the classroom, we began to share our common interest in popular music. We had both begun collecting records, modestly due to financial constraints, and we'd talk about the music we owned and that which we hoped someday to own.
As the years went by we both started amassing fair sized collections. There were some albums that were so essential that we both owned copies. Then there were the many albums found in cut-out bins or purchased according our individual tastes. The ones that he had that I didn't--and vice versa--we each took a keen interest in. Still there are albums of his that I remember listening to that I'd like to hear again but they are difficult to find even on YouTube or Amazon. Mostly those were the cut-out albums. I had a good collection of vinyl and Marvin had an equally good collection. We both took good care of our albums.
Now I've sold most of my collection and kept my absolute favorites which amounts to maybe 100 to 200 albums. Trying to downsize you know. The other day when I was talking to Marvin on the phone, I asked about his record collection. He said he still had all of his old albums, but, like me, didn't listen to them other than on very rare occasions. Marvin thought he might decide to start selling them on EBay, but wasn't sure. I know the feeling. It was hard for me to part with so much of my vinyl. I still think about some of those albums that got sold. And I think of Marvin's record collection. So many hours spent with great music listening.
If there really were a store called Marvin's Records and my friend Marvin owned it, he could just put his old collection in inventory. Sure, so much music can be downloaded on a computer or other gadgets that the technology of media storage is evolving to the point where maybe someday there won't be stores that sell recorded music. However the upside is that vinyl has seen a resurgence and record stores have been opening in many places. Vinyl still has a lot of fans.
Maybe there is still hope for Marvin's Records. Ah, what a great job just listening to music all day while you do the work you do in a record store. It could happen you know.
Is there a certain type of store that you've long dreamed of opening? Have you ever or do you now own a store of any kind? Do you have a collection of something that you might like to turn into cash?
Saturday, February 27, 2016
My Life According to Bruce Cockburn--A Musical Challenge
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| Bruce Cockburn performing at the City Stages festival in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Debbie at Doglady's Den had the following meme at her site this past week. The premise is to use song titles of a favorite band or artist to answer a series of questions. One of my favorite artists is Bruce Cockburn. His songs have lyrics that are pure poetry with outstanding melodic backing. Cockburn's music has spoken to me since I first discovered him in 1985. Click on the song titles if you'd like to read the lyrics.
Here is my life according to Bruce Cockburn:
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| Doglady's Den |
Q and A
***********
Your favorite form of transportation:
Silver Wheels
Your best friend is:
One Of The Best Ones
Your favorite color is:
Incandescent Blue
Favorite time of day:
In The Falling Dark
If your life was a TV show, what would it be called?
Planet Of The Clowns
What is life to you?
Anything Can Happen
Your relationships:
Love Loves You Too
What is the best advice you have to give?
Joy Will Find A Way
If you could change your name, you would change it to:
Kit Carson
Thought for the day:
See You Tomorrow
How you would like to die:
Let Us Go Laughing
Your soul’s present condition:
Waiting For A Miracle
Give this a try! It's great fun. Pick one of your own favorites and then link back to my blog and Debbie's blog. Debbie said you can use the badge if you'd like. Let me know if you do this on your own blog and I'll come visit.
Here's the list in sound and image if you'd like to enjoy the music:
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Music Memories
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| Gramophone and records (Photo credit: GB_1984) |
Ever since I started participating in the Battle of the Bands event on my blog Tossing It Out I've been reminiscing about music. Listening to the tunes I used to listen to back in younger days puts me in a different frame of mind. When I pick out albums from my collection to spin on my record turntable it's like listening to an oldies station where I get to choose the playlist.
I may have purchased a few LP's in the 1990's and several in the 80's, but most of my records were bought in the 70's and 60's with most of those acquired prior to 1975. My record collection would probably be considered vintage.
There's something to be said for having old vinyl. This probably accounts for a big part of the popularity of owning old records. Some audiophiles will insist that vinyl sounds better than any other medium of music recording. Having spent many hours listening to LP's I can agree with that as long as the records are in good condition. For me, the memories evoked by vinyl records make them like gold when digging back for memoir material.
I've got my turntable hooked to a small sound system in the bedroom across from my writing office. Most weekdays I've been listening to one to a half dozen or so records. With something like 200 to 300 albums in my bedroom closet it takes a while to get through listening to them all. And I tell you, this listening has been bringing back many memories.
In the weeks to come I'll be posting more often about records and music in general. Some of this will be in correlation with the Battle of the Bands posts. Other posts will be for reasons that will become evident in a few weeks. I hope that you readers enjoy music as much as I do and will share your own memoir memories in the weeks to come.
Does music stir memories when you hear it? Is there a special era of music that taps into your past more than others? Do you think the sound of vinyl is superior to other mediums of recording?
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