Music Feeds the Soul

I was running down the road trying to loosen my load I had corona virus on my mind… or something like that.  Have you ever been in the truck and that certain song comes on that takes you back to middle school, high school, college or sometime in your life when it was constantly played on the FM radio.  Yes, FM was before XM,  Spotify and Pandora. I can’t help but to feel a little nostalgic when those songs come on, because for me, it takes me back to some of the happiest times in my life.  On the lake skiing, top off the CJ, on a date, or just hanging out with my peeps at the coast, not a care in the world....
 
Whether you play music or just listen, music is a magical thing.  It can motivate, just ask Rocky Balboa.  Mister T pities the fool that listens to “Eye of the Tiger”!  It can inspire.  Just check out any of the posts on social media of the folks singing from their stoops or balconies these days or from the rooftops at the hospitals.  It can soothe or help relax at the end of a long day.   Most of the time we listen passively as we are going down the road or working on a project.  But, when we can listen undisturbed and take it in it's usually the best.  I’ve been to shows and sometimes just walked away from the friend yapping in my ear while my favorite song is being played live.   Seeing it in that setting, you see the passion that brings you  closer to what the artist is trying to get across to his or her audience all in a song.  Music brings people together, literally, but for now all that has been put on hold.  Except it hasn't at all....
 
Daily, with everything that going on today's quarantined world, these singer songwriters are broadcasting live shows  “on-the-line” sitting in their homes, which we love. In my opinion, it separates the musicians that actually have talent from the performers that are just popular.  Someone who can stand alone, pick a guitar and sing without a band, has earned my respect and admiration and can truly inspire.
 
Yes, we have our favorite memories that are sparked by the classic songs of our past, but we are always making new music and new memories.  Like finding new ideas and canvases to paint, I’m amazed songwriters can keep coming up with great music, that becomes a thread that weaves the fabric in our lives. 

For me, that’s the cool thing about art and music, it sparks emotion and passion…and isn’t that what are supposed to live for?  Isn’t that what we are alive for?  So this afternoon, take some time to turn off the news and endless propaganda, have a cold beverage and listen to some good music.  It will cleanse the soul.