A Life Dedicated to Music.

After reading a fantastic post from Lacey about music, I felt somewhat nostalgic and have been inspired to share my sentiments on music and what it has meant in my life-and it has meant a lot!

From a young age, I'd say around 6 or so, I remember starting to grow a fondness for music. My parents always listened to Billy Joel, so of course that meant I did too. There was something about Billy Joel that struck just the right chord in me and started my love for music. I remember hearing other music from my parents, but none of it stuck the way Billy Joel did. I would sit around for hours and listen to Billy Joel records and CDs with the lyric book out and memorize each word of my favorite songs. Through all my musical ventures my respect for Billy Joel, and what he has meant to me and in igniting my love for music, has never faded. See here.

In 7th/8th grade I found punk rock. I was immediately drawn to it because of its brashness and the subculture surrounding its history. The songs were short, furious and straight to the point. It was refreshing because it wasn't commercial yet. It was pure. Bands like Blink 182, Good Charlotte and Fall Out Boy hadn't yet tainted what punk rock is supposed to be. Later punk (not REAL punk, just bands with a punk sound) would become part of popular music-something of a paradox for punk rock-and it would forever damage the reputation of the music. Punk was (and is still, yes there are legit punk bands out there still, they're just harder to come by in the traditional sense) music with a purpose, music with a message, music that was offensive and outside of the mainstream and it demanded to be heard and taken seriously.

Through middle school and high school punk was my mainstay. It introduced me to a world of music not known to the world of commercial rock and shaped who I was as a person-the way I dressed, the way I viewed the world and what other music I could and couldn't like. Eventually I would network out to other genres of music and leave the feeling that I was "selling out my scene," and come to the conclusion that because of those roots, I was a better and more well-versed person and was able to locate other underground music that would have an effect on my life.

By the time college came, my realm of music had greatly expanded. Those who I associated with in school were very in-tune with new and old non-commercial music and I was introduced to many, many wonderful bands that have since led me to countless other amazing bands.

After graduating from college I began a job as a booking agent for many of the punk bands that raised me, you could say. It has been an honor. Funny, I remember girls in high school always making fun of my punk music and hating to listen to it and that same music is now what it paying my bills and providing for my family. Ha! How's that for justice!

There's no doubt music has had more of an impact on my life than anything else outside of family and religion. There's nothing better than hearing a song and having a memory or a feeling of a specific time or event or even an exact moment brought back to you like it just barely happened or the feel like you are at that moment, reliving it again. So many different bands and different songs could be used to represent different parts and moments of my life. I love to have those instances when you hear that song and are brought right back to yesteryear and are able to remember everything about that memory sooo clear. How the weather was that day, how you felt inside, what was happening and who you were with, etc. Music is powerful. Music is wonderful. Music has been a blessing in my life and I always feel sorry for those who don't have strong feelings about music and will never understand these special moments that come from loving music.

Thanks for reading. I know there are music addicts that read this blog. I would love to hear your stories. Please leave a comment, long or short.