The Soundtrack of Your Life

“Music is the soundtrack of our lives.” ~ Dick Clark

First, I love the sound of silence. It’s probably my favorite thing. It balances me and makes me quit clenching my jaw. It might be because I grew up in the middle of nowhere and that’s what I heard when I went outside – silence, or birds, or the sway of the tall grass in the wind. I have an appreciation for silence that my husband and children don’t. They want some sort of background noise at all times. If I’m listening to something, I want to be actively listening, otherwise, it’s just noise. It makes my head fuzzy and tense.

Speaking of noise – that’s what a lot of TV is for me. I don’t watch any reality TV. In my limited experience, they are celebrations of arguing and drama. I have 4 children and I work in an Emergency Department. I get regular doses of both arguing and drama. So, I choose the shows that I watch carefully. I don’t watch anything that annoys me, scares me or makes me too terribly sad. I mostly want to watch comedy.

When I am ready to actively listen, I so enjoy music – all kinds of music. There have been times that l let life get in the way and I have been too busy for music. I will suddenly realize the only music I’ve been listening to is the radio in my car to and from work. I have missed music so much during these times – but I didn’t know it until I start listening again.

These have been some of my favorite artists throughout my life:

• 1970’s – Superbubble record and Golden Hits of ’76 – both ordered from TV
• 1980’s – Foreigner, Reo Speedwagon, Journey, Genesis, Van Halen, Chicago
• 1990’s – Hootie and the Blowfish, Alanis Morissette, Redhot Chili Peppers, Sheryl Crow
• 2000’s – Matchbox 20,  Counting Crows, Creed, Black-eyed Peas, Switchfoot
• 2010’s – O.A.R., Mumford and Sons, Fun., Train

This is only a partial list because I listen to so much more. Rich is older than me, so I listen to a lot of music that was “before my time” or just timeless music, really: Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac, Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Jim Croce, Michael Martin Murphey. I have gone through phases where I only listen to country music – now it’s just interwoven – Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Alabama.

This is the reason Pandora has been the best musical gift! We plug in one of our favorites and it plays similar artists. It’s fun and surprising to hear what comes up and we’ve heard artists we’d completely forgotten about – some great one-hit wonders. We’ve been able to expand the soundtrack of our lives.

Music is a great escape – a reason to want to exercise – to listen to my own playlist or my own Pandora station as loud as I choose with my headphones. I can use all the motivation I can get!

Take some time to listen to music you love. It will do your body and soul good. You will feel yourself relax and smile. Let me know what tunes are making you feel like singing and dancing. What music is making up the soundtrack of your life?

O.A.R. Concert, Kansas City, July 2012

It was so hot - everyone looked a little blurry!