First Post!

I believe in the power of music.  It can tap into every emotion, depending on the genre and our mood and emotion.  What else can touch people at such a deep emotional level?  Music can inspire, heal, soothe, rage, elevate, love, hate –sometimes all in the same song!  As Beethoven once said, “Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman.”

Music can also transcend all discrimination –race, gender, orientation, religion, politics –as it truly is the universal language of love.  It can unite people, even countries, for a common cause such as Live Earth (global warming), Live Aid (famine in Africa), Farm Aid (farmers), etc.  There is no greater feeling on this planet than to witness live music to a large audience.  At a concert, the energy is electric (Al Gore needs to find a way to harness this energy into an alternative fuel source) as you have thousands of euphoric fans all singing in unity.  It is truly a beautiful, and powerful, experience.

On a personal level, music is my drug and, yes, I am unapologetically addicted.  With over 5,000 songs in my iPod and the ability to categorize them into playlists, I can essentially tap into any mood or emotion.  I can reach for a super motivational high, or descend into a downward spiral towards hell.  It can challenge me, provoke me, elevate me –but, above all, it has to touch me where I FEEL it.  I need to feel the emotion the artist is striving for, whether it is pain, hope, love, despair.  This can be channeled thru a heavy drum beat, melancholic minor chords, smooth bass and/or brilliant, poignant lyrics from the heart.  When it penetrates my soul, that is when that song & artist get on the top of the charts in my playlist.

But, often for me, my fave music is when it is nourishment, a comforting elixir.  An old friend coming thru my earbuds (hmmm…is that why they’re called ear “buds”?), visiting me to take me on a sentimental journey.  A song that evokes a memory of a time, a person, a place, a mood, or even a feeling.  Most songs that deeply touch me will stir up a memory that are as vivid today upon hearing the song as the first time that song resonated within me.

In the book “The Soloist” (movie coming out Nov 23), a mentally ill artist cannot cope with the daily pressures of life but for the escape into the world of music.  Homeless and schizophrenic, the only time he comes alive and feels connected to the world is thru his music.  This embodies the power of music to me –it is deeply personal, uplifting and, simultaneously, a connection to the world.

“If music be the food of love, play on.”
                        ~Shakespeare~