Life Soundtrack

I almost always have music on during the day. I love to put my Ipod on "shuffle" because I enjoy not knowing what song is coming next. There is music on my Ipod that spans years of my musical tastes - everything from 80's love songs to boy band mania to country ridiculosity to fluffy Christian pop to current worship music. The Ipod shuffle feature is wonderful - bringing back memories with almost every song. Although I do believe that the shuffle has overestimated my affection for Air Supply. I really don't want to hear one of their songs every 19 minutes. 

Have you ever noticed the power of a song to bring you back to a particular place and time? I have thought of that a few times lately as I find myself making memories with Finn - dancing to music in the kitchen, the songs Matt and I sing to him, the way his world stops in its tracks when The Office or Parks and Recreation theme songs come on TV. 

This much I know: my son loves music. Granted, he doesn't have much choice in the matter, with how constantly he is inundated with music in his daily life. Even his nursery is a music theme!

 It is very sweet to watch his genuine excitement and fascination with guitars, drums, and piano. When I am on worship team and bring him to practice, he stares down everyone playing an instrument. And I can't help but wonder if his memory will be distinctly tied to the music that fills his life, because that is what so many of my own memories are tied to. 

For example: this song brings me right back to sitting in church listening to my mom and her singing group, "Gentle Praise". However cheesy it is, it gives me a happy, sappy feeling. 

Then there is this song - a winner if there ever was one. This is from the Chicago tape that our family would listen to relentlessly every time we would bake chocolate chip cookies - one of my all-time favorite childhood memories. That Chicago Greatest Hits tape saw a lot of mileage, as it also spurs many road trip memories! Was it the only tape we owned?

Speaking of road trips, we were coming back from one when I, as a little girl, first heard this song come on the radio. I remember it was nighttime and I sat in the backseat, staring forlornly out the window. I looked up at the stars and wondered if "somewhere out there", my future husband was listening to the same song and thinking of me. Ah, ever the romantic. Matt, did you ever stare out the window while listening to this song and wonder where I was? :)

These songs are all included in the soundtrack of my childhood, along with any song from "Annie" and the morning song my mom sang to wake us up: 

"The puppies are barking, the kitties are meowing

The birdies are singing, it's such a happy day!

The sun is shining, the grass is growing,

They all seem to say, 'Come out and play!'"

 There is also an unending array of songs that my siblings introduced me to.

This song reminds me of sleepovers in Missy's dorm at USF:

"Walking on Broken Glass" - Annie Lennox

This song reminds me of Matt going to their concert and his love for country music:

"Fishin' in the Dark" - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

This song reminds me of Kiki playing this song endlessly when she was in high school - she would play the tape, rewind it, play it again. And my naive mind would think - how does she always manage to find the right radio station that is playing that song??

"If I Ever Fall in Love" - Shai

This song reminds me of riding to school in Josh's black Nissan truck and we would actually belt this song out together - he would take the "Hey heys" and I would take the "Whoa-oh-ohs":

"Runaround Sue" - Dion and the Belmonts

It is phenomenal the way that music can evoke and invoke emotions.....long buried but deeply remaining.

And I cannot wait, as Finn gets older, to hear him look back on what songs evoke memories for him.

As long as it doesn't start in "Air" and end in "Supply".