The Music Lives

Music. The best art in the world. Captures feelings and emotion. Calms. Soothes. Reforms. Music has always been a huge part of my life. It's a time stamp on different periods of my life. I remember being 3/4 years old and loving Alabama's Song of the South. I knew every word and my parents would listen to me sing it every day. I remember the first time I heard Tracy Chapman's Fast Car and how sad it made me feel. I was young but I felt all the emotion in that song. We used to have this huge cabinet record player with red speakers and at any given time you could find me listening and dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller album. Beat It being one of my favorites. It made me feel tough and powerful. I transitioned through life with different musicians and almost always had the radio on. I even went through the depressed teenage years where all I listened to was Nirvana and could tell you everything there was to know about Kurt Cobain. I had 11 Nirvana shirts at one time. I became anavringirl (a screen name I'm sure has been coveted for years).That stage has definitely passed and I even find myself forgeting Nirvana lyrics and song titles. I've changed and moved on. When Eric and I first started dating, we listened to a lot of Pete Yorn, Radiohead, Sister Hazel, and Ben Folds. It was a great time and those worn albums bring back lots of memories. I moved on to Ben Kweller, Death Cab for Cutie, and went back to Hanson. Then there seemed to be a dead season in music. Rock and alternative changed and became something plain and emotionless. I only purchased new music of known bands. Music is now alive again. Bands like Mumford and Sons, The Avett Brothers, Of Monsters and Men, and Grouplove (just to name a few)are in the limelight and I am able to discover and enjoy new music again. It makes me happy to know that there is new music out there that is actually worth my money. My favorite band at the moment has to be the Avett Brothers. They have it all. Folk, rock, some grunge, pop. They allow me to feel every emotion in the book. They make me feel whole.