Greeting once more! Today I'd like to tackle a subject that holds a great unspoken importance to myself - Music. Before we continue, this is not a discussion of video game music (though I'm sure some will make its way into the conversation), this is more of a glimpse into the constant soundtrack running behind my life. I need music, I don't think about it often but every activity I undertake simply must be accompanied by music - driving, playing games, writing, cooking dinner, doing laundry, walking, running, you name it I need a soundtrack to it. Someone who spends ridiculous amounts of time discovering new music (*cough* me) has more power in their hands than they may at first could have imagined.
If you'll allow to me to wax philosophical for a brief moment, as little as I know about the actual creation of music (as I have absolutely no talent in the field...except for making playlists) I do know one thing. Knowing yourself through music that ignites emotions inside you opens doors you never thought possible to pass through, how you may ask. I'll do my best to illuminate you on my opinions of my age old friend and long time muse - music.
Before I can truly dive into my opinions, it is worth mentioning that even though there are some types of music I truly despise hearing (my apologies Country fans) I still consider each and every genre to be music. The constant back and forth battle of "does a having a band vs. not having a band matter" has no right answer. There are artists in both categories that I adore that I also feel are talented musicians. Oh right, I should be posting what I'm listening to as I write this I believe.
Aussie hip/hop - that's right. Bliss N Eso, if you haven't listened to them you are most certainly missing out. I've grown weary of modern day hip-hop consisting of only streams of curse words and threats of violence. Bliss N Eso actually have a "bad reputation" for being "too positive." How this is a problem or why it would detract from their listeners is beyond me.
This is definitely a strange post for me to write, talking about music is something I rarely ever do - it simply has been with me throughout my life and has always held the same grave importance. I'm not going to create a list of my favorite bands, or even attempt some fumbling attempt at a top ten list - it would be impossible. My "favorite band" has evolved with me as I've grown. What I will do however is continue posting the tracks running behind this blog post as I go along - it is worth mentioning that this playlist is one I recently put together out of a rough timeline if my tastes as I've grown up. Our first track comes to you from the heady days of middle school.
Yeah I listened to Limp Bizkit, and yeah I loved Limp Bizkit. Hell I saw them in concert with Metallica (another long time favorite) - no shame. Every piece of music has a special place - for example, heading into a soccer game against my school's rival team with Break Stuff blasting in my headphones completely changed how I mentally entered the game. Therein lies the power of music, while it is certainly possible for a particular track to change how you feel in the moment - to me the most important quality lies within music's ability to augment what you are currently feeling and act as a source of power to fuel that desired emotion. Track change!
Incubus still holds the record of the band that I considered to be my "favorite" for the longest time. This track is also my only musically oriented tattoo (for now). My listening habits also tend to be far different from others, I attribute this to my natural interest in writing. My first few listens to a song always have me focusing on what the lyrics are, around the 3rd or 4th listen I allow the actual instruments/electronic equipment to seep in and give the words more punch. If your lyrics don't at least entertain me I can't finish the song - hence my problem with most Top 40 music today. I love the lyrics in almost every single Incubus song, they have recently fallen from my listening pool in recent years but they provided me with years of beautiful music that I will never forget.
Enter early-mid high school.
I suppose now it is easier to see where all of the cross-pollination between genres showed up within my music taste. From Alternative, Indie, Hip Hop, Metal, to almost any genre you can come up with - you'll most likely find that I've dipped my toes into their respective pools and why shouldn't I?
Someone who is learning to draw is pushed to increase their "visual library" (basically all of the things you've seen stored in your brain) by traveling, taking in the sights, and then bringing to bear your new knowledge to make yourself a better artist. The same thing goes for a writer, you need to read astronomical amounts along side writing in order to fully round yourself out and have inspiration to pull from in those tough moments where the words just won't come to you. I can't help it, I'm going to go off on a tangent quickly and post one of my current favorite songs.
For me, every song is a key. Each key is useful for opening a specific door, and obviously not all keys will fit in every lock you run into. However, if you do enough searching and dig through enough rubble you will find that when you look down at your once bare keychain that it will be full of glistening metallic tools all waiting to help you get through whatever obstacles you may encounter. From little things to sitting in traffic or going for a walk, or to the more serious such as dealing with the passing of a loved one, or moving to a completely new state - music is always there with me. When I run into that door that simply will not budge and forces me to freeze in place unsure of what to do - all I need realize is that the key is already with me and when we attack the problem in unison there is no barrier that can stand in my way.
Recently my first story was picked up for publishing (something I am absolutely over the moon about that I will go into more detail later), as soon as I heard the news (besides telling my lovely fiance / friends / family) was to blast all of the songs that helped me through the times when I was sure that I was going to fail as a writer. My strength combined with the tracks that helped inspire me to write and to continue writing regardless of how fruitless it felt allowed me to reach the place that I am today. A place where I fully believe in myself as a writer, and as someone who is no longer afraid they are going to finish their book. Before I depart for the afternoon/evening I'd love to share with you the current playlist that has been giving my novel life. Talk to you all again soon!
