Music Feeds The Soul

Recently I have found myself in the ever wonderful position of getting royally screwed over. There were many signs which I ignored, against my better judgment, and the biggest one is shocking that I overlooked. I'll spare you the details, but let's just say this: What self-respecting adult lists their favorite band as Creed?

Can you ever really trust someone? Yes. Can you ever really trust someone with awful taste in music? No. While we all have our guilty pleasures, and believe me I like some bad music, people who fundamentally have bad taste in music are to be avoided. Now I'm not talking about people who like music but do not know the name, my Mom has to ask me when a song comes on if she likes it. She eventually knows the answer herself, but she never had a knack for memorizing song titles, unlike my father who was a DJ back in the day. My love for music and knowledge of music comes from my father.

Judge Not.....unless it comes to music. What a person listens to says a lot about who they are and the mood they are in, and sometimes what they value. How can you trust a person who has never sang along at the top of their lungs to 'Don't Stop Believin'/Sweet Caroline/Livin' on a Prayer' with a drink in their hand and their friends by their side? Brown Eyed Girl is the song my father and I dance to at every wedding, and Lonestar's Amazed is the first country song he ever liked. I remember listening to 'Proud to be an American' before September 11th, I remember how that song made me felt back then, which was nothing to how it makes me feel now. Certain songs get your girlfriends into dance party mood like 'How Will I Know' remix by Whitney Houston, and others start the night off right like 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'. Some songs make breaking up easier like 'Before He Cheats' belted by Carrie Underwood while others comfort when your heart is broken like 'Break Even' by the Script or 'Dreaming with a Broken Heart' by John Mayer. Some songs have no words at all, but they still strike a certain something within us. What girl doesn't recognize the Sex and the City theme song within three notes? Songs can give us hope for future love, bring back memories from the past, excite us for adventure, set the mood for partying to love making and everything in between.

Music has this wonderful way of sneaking into our mind and creating an influence over us, whether it be positive or negative. Everything we do, sound has an influence over. How much easier is it to work out with your favorite pump up jams going on in your ear? How much better is it to drive with the windows down on a gorgeous day with some rockin' tunes blasting? What would a wedding be like without music? Or for that matter a reception? Why do babies calm to singing when nothing else will do? The answer? Because music is an integral part of our lives, and people who listen to crappy music are usually crappy people.

Ever have a song that brings back a memory? Make a list, I bet you it's over a hundred songs long. Here's just a sample from mine.

Journey - Don't Stop Believin': My all-time favorite song. Memories range from singing at top of my lungs at my cousin Lauren's wedding and at the Shout House with my girlfriends on 80s nights. One can never be in a bad mood when it plays.
Kenny Chesney - I Go Back: My best friend from 6 years old to 21 years old and the time we trekked up to Frontier Days getting lost, standing in that long line, barely able to see over people, suffocated with smoke..... Still, it's one of my favorite country concerts.
Lee Greenwood - Proud to be an American: My Dad made me a copy of that cassette tape and I would play that song over and over again. When the World Trade Center Towers collapsed and that song was played it not only reminded me what it meant to me to be an American, but of a time before 9/11 when life was simpler and more pure.
Earth, Wind, and Fire - September: My cousin Lauren's wedding. The perfect Colorado September day on a beautiful golf course overlooking the entire Rocky Mountain front range. Simply beautiful.
Backstreet Boys - Shape of my Heart: Over the summer some friends and I went to see the Backstreet Boys at the State Fair. Money well spent. All the good memories of middle school/high school without the cliques, awkwardness, or bad clothing. Singing along to tacky music in the summer night with  a couple thousand other girls all whilst reminiscing of one's youth is a great feeling, highly recommended.
Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer: I've seen Bon Jovi live, twice. The first time for free, the second time for $5. Not a bad deal, if I do say so myself. They're fantastic live, you should DEF. check them out. Even if their newer songs aren't my cup of tea, every time this song comes on in my car I crank the volume and sing along at the top of my lungs. It's almost better than the concert. Sans Bon Jovi, but also, sans Cougars and drunk girls spilling beer on my stuff.
Matt Wertz - Capitol City: I remember first going to see Matt, he was great. Very awesome acoustic player who has a voice. This song brings me to all the times when I doubted myself. Any time I feel like I am worried about where life is taking me I turn to this song. Every challenge brings the same feelings of despair, but this song reminds me of all the battles I've already overcome to get to where I am today.
Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten: This song can get me running whenever I feel like I've hit a wall when working out. It also reminds me of Hawaii. Being in a new place with new friends allows one new opportunities. This song really made me try new things, hang with everyone I could, and be as clique-less as possible. I just wanted to 'soak up' all that Hawaii had to offer me. I'd love to live there, but the lack of NHL team makes it difficult to do so.