One Can't Live on Music Alone

I know that I've been posting a lot of music lately. I know that you haven't been given much insight into the life and times of Amy lately. But, you can tell an enormous amount about how I'm feeling by hearing the type of music that I'm listening to at the time.

Music has been such a HUGE part of my life since I was a little girl. My parents always had the radio on so I learned every word to every song of the time. I think that the reason that I love music so much is that my dad does as well. When I was little, we used to play a game called, "Who sings this?" and the person getting asked this question had to come up with the name of the artist and the name of the song. I became VERY good at this game and still am. In fact, this year I won $200 from Ed because he said the song "Feel Like I Do" was by Eric Clapton. Seriously! Can you believe that??

We were sitting in the parking lot of Smokey Joe's Tavern, he was driving because I had too many adult beverages, and when he started the car, the song was on the radio.



Ed: Oooh! Slow Hand!
Me: That's not slow hand. It's Peter....
Ed: No, it's Eric Clapton.
Me: NO IT'S NOT! It's Peter... Oh, I can't think of his last name. (At this point, all I can think of is Peter Gabriel, but, I KNOW this isn't correct.)
Ed: Peter Frampton?
Me: YES!!! That's it. It's Peter Frampton.
Ed: No it's not. It's Eric Clapton.
Me: I will bet you one month's worth of dinners that it's Peter Frampton.
Ed: No way.
Me: OK, I will bet you $200 that it's Peter Frampton.
Ed: You're on.

First mistake: Betting me the $200.
Second mistake: Waiting in the car, in our garage with me to hear the end of the song to find out who sang it. (which they never did say.)
Third mistake: Going into the house and really looking it up on the Internet to find out the singer of the song. Because I was almost passed out by then.
Fourth mistake: Thinking he could win this game with his wife, even when she's had too many adult beverages!

Because. I. Was. Right.

Yeah baby!!!

One might even say that I am obsessed with music. In the car, if there isn't a good song on, I'll flip channels until something good IS on. (this drives Ed NUTS!) If I can't find anything, I usually plug in my iPod to listen to every favorite song I have. (I have 399 on the iPod...) That in itself should tell you the diversity of the music I listen to. I have hard, hard rock, to country (but, I'm VERY picky about my country), to alternative, to rap, to old seventies tunes by Poco, Little River Band, and Ricki Lee Jones. I also have some oldies, like Etta James and Wayne Newton. AND, I love hearing new music of all kinds... I'm not a music snob, except when it comes to country. I have never been a country fan, but, I do like certain artists like, Lyle Lovett (who is my other boyfriend with Neil Peart) and Mindy Smith.

I had been in choir in seventh and eighth grades and when I went to high school, I tried out for concert choir. I made it. I was shocked. So, in my senior year, I found that I needed one more math class in order to make it to college. My mom told the guidance counselor that I would "give up choir" in order to take the math class. I was furious. Because I loved music so much, I took zero our classes (history, no less) in order to keep 2nd period choir and 5th period Spanish TA. My mom was freaked because if any of you know me, mornings are NOT my best time of day! I got up at 5:00 AM every morning and made it to Mr. Kelly's zero hour SWP (senior world problems) and the other senior history class I needed to have.

Music reminds me of times in my life and also certain songs will make me think about certain people. For example, "Drop Dead Legs" by Van Halen reminds me of one of my best friends from high school. "Fade into You" by Mazzy Star reminds me of my sister. "Chloe/Dancer of Thorns" by Mother Love Bone reminds me of when Ed and I first got married and we lived in our little, red house on Cedar street. "Brass in Pocket" reminds me of sitting in Smokey Joe's Tavern with my sister and the friend from high school I spoke of before and listening to their version of the lyrics. HYSTERICAL!

Music is a way for me to express feelings that I am otherwise not able to express verbally. Someone has already done it more meaningfully in a song. With music. And Lyrics.

I just finished reading my boyfriend Neil Peart's book, "Traveling Music: The Soundtrack to My Life and Times". It's about Neil's celebration of excellence in the musical artists that inspired his own creative road from his childhood days until the present time. As I was reading it, it made me reflect on my own journey through life and what my soundtrack has been.

I think that if you check out my iPod, you can get a VERY good idea of where I've been.

I am excited to see where music takes my future.