Have you noticed how much music sets the mood? When things are challenging and I am feeling contemplative, I might turn to this song. But if my goal is to raise my vibe, this is the song I will turn on. Whether you need a little something to remind you to hold on, or it is time to dance the blues away, there always a song that comes to the rescue. This got me thinking back to when my love of music started.
Around the age of 7 or 8, one of my most cherished presents was a Raggedy Ann and Andy AM/FM radio. I would play it so much that I kept asking my parents to buy more batteries, and more than once, they threatened to take it away because I would sneak it under my pillow to keep listening to music instead of going to sleep at my 8:00 PM bedtime.
My parents, too, loved music. We had a stereo console that was a popular model back then. It was a wooden cabinet with a sliding door on the left front side to store records, and a sliding door on the top right side where the record player and speakers were located.
Music filled our home at some point each day with my mother’s favorite artists: Johnny Mathis, Engelbert Humperdinck and Stevie Wonder. My father had his favorites too that included the legends Willy Nelson, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. The music mix was already quite the contrast without factoring in that I was usually playing the only song I ever mastered on the electric organ, Age of Aquarius.
My musical tastes grew up with me and consisted of songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Rock and disco equally ruled my record and cassette tape collections, but I also liked most other genres such as new wave, alternative, pop, bluegrass, the Grateful Dead, and some country music.
In the last decade, I continue to enjoy all that music, with rock and country music most often getting the most play time. It dawned on me about 5 years ago that maybe all those lyrics I was singing every day weren’t as uplifting as much as a I had thought. I stopped watching the news about 15 years ago and am still very selective in choosing what I take in from media. It was just in the last few months and years when it occurred to me that singing Highway to Hell or I Am Not Okay are not the messages I wanted to keep putting out to the Universe to manifest.
These days, the playlists getting the most air-time include uplifting, inspiring, and powerful lyrics or are powerful instrumentals. This kind of music has significantly upped my daily joy factor and revs me up for the day better than any caffeinated drink can. I still listen today’s country, 80s and rock and too, but I do find the songs with inspirational messages help to better keep me on a higher vibe wavelength that helps me on my path.
I must say that living in Eureka Springs in Northwest Arkansas makes it easy to enjoy so many incredible local musicians who write and play music that will get your feet stomping and raise your spirits. Cheers to that!
This is why I believe that music truly is the heart of our soul. What is your playlist imprinting on you?
Comentários