Welcome back peoples of Bloggonia! Here's hoping the world is treating you and yours well. Short summary of current events: My Tarheels are out of the NCAA tournament, so I no longer care who wins, tick season is early this year, so check those little 'uns heads when they come in, gas prices are expected to go to an all time high over the summer, so I hope wherever you take your vacation, it's not too far away and finally we as a nation get one step closer to being a socialist system if Obamas universal health care "reform" is signed into the law of the land.
When I think of this administration, as well as the last I can't help but think of the song by NOFX, "the Idiots
Are Taking Over"! Which brings me to what I'd like to rant on tonight, no, not politics, but music.
If you've read even one of my blogs, you've probably notice I usually make some reference to some era of music or group, or leave you with a nugget of musical goodness via youtube.com. Music is something that I am very passionate about, I have always said, as much as I love music it's amazing that I've never learned to play an instrument. I used to love to sing when I was younger, and still do from time-to-time, especially when someone breaks out the Rock Band video game! At one time when I was a youngster, I could actually read both shaped notes, like they had in our church hymnals, and the regular music they taught us in school. Like anything else though, if you don't use it, you loose it. I did, however, buy myself a Fender Starcaster to try and learn guitar on last year, but somehow or another, I never seem to find the time to try anymore.
Like everyone else in the world, I can literally think of a song for any and all of the major experiences, instances and events in my life. There are the old standby hanging out, partying songs, the break-up songs, the celebrating a small victory in life songs, songs that make you want to fight, and from time-to-time even dance, (very rarely for me, because I can't dance at ALL!). There is music to worship with, music to meditate and get lost in, even music to make love to. It can be peaceful enough to calm the savage beast or charged with enough energy to incite a riot in a stadium, and pandemonium in the streets.
I personally believe in having a broad range of musical interests to truly appreciate all that music can bring to someones life. My iPod currently has 90's music of course, and lots of it, rap, metal, bluegrass, classic rock, a little bit of country, mainly Johnny Cash, and a healthy dose of punk.
It amazes me how that now sometimes I can hear a song and it will instantly take me back to a place in time, so completely sometimes that I find myself almost lost in the moment. There are so many good memories I can associate with a song, from using shoe boxes to play "drums" along with my dads 8-track of Creedence Clearwater Revival singing "Bad Moon Rising", or taking turns with my brother and step-brother, using an old acoustic junior guitar with no strings and lip singing to the Purple Rain album, writing short stories in my childhood bedroom while listening to the Miami Vice soundtrack, or cruising downtown Elkin, North Carolina, when it was still permitted, with so many car stereos blaring everything from Motley Crue, to Wu Tang, to the point that they all blended together, or finding out that I was going to be a father with Creeds "With Arms Wide Open" playing, or most recently just riding around with some friends in the rain for hours singing along with the radio.
Music is one of the greatest gifts that God ever gave us mere mortals, and the ability to make music is an even more amazing gift. I would love to have that talent that some make look so effortless, and be able to pass it on to my children. Both of my kids love music now, but I hope that my kids are more musically inclined than I was, and are able to learn to play an instrument. I saw a bumper sticker the other day that pretty much sums it all up and puts it into perspective and it's what I'll leave you with, it simply said "Music is what feelings sound like". Words of wisdom indeed!
As a final note, I'd like to mention the passing of a musical pioneer Earl Scruggs, who helped found and bring to national prominence the bluegrass genre. I came to listen to bluegrass through my wife, who grew up listening to it her whole life. I was reluctant at first because I had never really been exposed to it a great deal even though I grew up in an area that was famous for it. I remember I swiped one of my wifes cd's and kept it for like a year before I finally admitted that I liked bluegrass. I wouldn't say that I listen to it exclusively by any means, but I take spells where I'll listen to it for a week or two at a time. There's also a local radio station that plays Knee Deep In Bluegrass with Cindy Baucom after 6pm, and I'll tune into it while driving from time-to-time. For all the haters and skeptics, give it shot, what could it hurt? You may just find a new type of musical interest, even if you have to hide it from your wife and friends!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_Y3mnj-8lA I'll let Mr. Scruggs and Mr. Flatts take it home with a little Foggy Mountain Breakdown. You're welcome!!
I knew you would grow to love it :-)
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