Music. Such a personal thing, an expression of oneself and our current mood, put to lyrics and melodies and rhythms. The music we’re drawn to is a reflection of our personality and preferences, just like the books we love or the movies we enjoy or any other art form that moves us to rave about it to our friends and family. And what appeals to us can vary as widely as the genres of music out there, be it a rockin’ guitar solo, a haunting voice, or the deep, soulful sounds of a cello. It can be soothing or inspiring. It can draw us deeper into a feeling or keep us tethered just above it.
photo credit: danmachold via photopin cc
I have what I believe to be an eclectic taste in music, often letting my mood be the one to select what I’ll listen to next. I’m also extremely protective of my musical preferences and usually unwilling to openly share whether I’ve downloaded a certain song onto my phone or whether a song moves me to tears every time I hear it. That’s what comes of hanging out with people who are really into music, always knowing which is the upcoming cool band to listen to, or which songs from long ago clearly stand the test of time, or can say what real music is vs the crap that gets played on the radio.
I’ll admit I’ve been intimidated by such knowledge and coolness, the likes of which I know I’ll never possess. I’m always a few years and a couple of albums behind the hipster music crowd. My new discoveries and favorites are on everyone else’s outdated and discarded iPods. I don’t contribute to discussions about music because I can’t intelligently argue the merits of one album over another or hold my own in a musical debate. When you have some music tastes in common with 13 year-olds as well as the elderly, when you can dance it out to pop songs and 80′s classics and then get lost in a concerto like nobody’s business, people tend to tease you. Relentlessly. After a while you learn to keep your preferences to yourself, to just not talk about it anymore.
So why, then, when it was my turn to choose the WanaFriday topic of the week, did I suggest we write about a current favorite song and what draws us to it?
Because it’s time to stop hiding who I am and what I like.
And also, if I’m going to be totally honest, Chuck Wendig’s post this week on The Way We Talk About Pop Culture inspired me to come out of my self-imposed musical closet and take a step towards owning what I like.
So in that vein, here’s a song that always seems to repeatedly make it into my playlists: Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. It’s a song that has the uncanny power to make me believe I’m at the lake house I don’t own (yet) on a warm summer’s evening, sitting on the dock with a tasty beverage in hand, watching the sun set over the water, surrounded by those I cherish and love.
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Be sure to check out these fabulous writers to see which songs they have on consistent rotation in their music collection:
Liv Rancourt: Music for Sleepy Hollow
Ellen Gregory: I’ll Take a Harmony with My Wine
Siri Paulson: What’s Stuck in Your Head?
Dianna Bell: Witty Statements with Album Names
How about you, lovely readers? What song do you have on repeat in your playlist? What kinds of music are you drawn to? Do you proudly own what you like or have you enjoyed it in relative privacy like I’ve been doing for far too long? Sit, sip, and step out of the musical closet with me if you want to. I always love to hear from you.