Music moves the soul

Growing up, I was extremely lucky to have music as such a huge part of my life. In my home movies, the record player was always spinning in the background with the newest song bleeding through the speakers. It’s not surprising, considering my dad was a rock and roll band manger when I was younger.

I had a guitar and would try my hardest to teach myself how to play and I attempted a few different musical instruments, but I just wasn’t musically inclined. My dad had a skill -he was great with music and instruments as well as all his brothers and father were.

I would tag along with my dad to his daytime events and even danced on stage with a band for my 7^th birthday. I tried my hardest to blurt out the words to every song –never hitting a proper key. But that wouldn’t stop me from being an entertainer. It was something that moved me, something that was a part of me, something that I had to explore –and my parents never once discouraged me.

I knew every song circa 1960-1990s, but cannot tell you the songwriter. My one skill is I’m able to know the song by the first or second note that is played –partly because these songs were ALWAYS in the background. But nevertheless, after exploring, my only musical contribution was and is to dance wildly and sing off-key –but my heart was in it every step of the way.

Fast forward 32 years later and my home is filled with the same music and the same talents developing. Both of my children are drawn towards anything music related and instruments of all kinds. My son empties the tote with all the instruments at least 10 times a day and knows what to do with every piece. He’ll tap his foot to the beat (staying in sync) and wave his hands in the air, all while humming as if he was actually singing the words.

My daughter started off like that, drumming to the beat and playing her recorder. But now not a moment goes by when I don’t hear her singing every word to one of Sheriff Callie’s short emotion-themed song (or any other child’s song). She’ll stop whatever she’s doing and run into a room just to dance to a theme song –her dangly arms flailing and all. She even has my dad dancing and singing along with her.

Looking at her is like looking into the past. I’m seeing me in her shoes, dancing wildly and all smiles, but she sings more on key than I ever did.

Her and my son both are continuing the pattern of music in our family, maybe one of them will be a manger, singer, or songwriter –or maybe they will be like me and have to take a backseat. 

Whatever it is, I hope they pursue it because music is freeing.

Music can elevate mood.

Music can connect a room full of strangers.

And most of all, music has the ability to bring you back to an exact moment in your life.