Musical Autobiography

On the first day of the year I started posting a daily video on my Facebook page. To begin with, this was simply a way of trying to share something positive. The wolrd feels particularly hard and difficult right now, and so much of what I see on social media, YouTube, and various websites is negative. I am so tired of videos and articles that begin with some variation of ‟Here’s Five Reasons Why This Thing Sucks!” I’m appalled at the ongoing focus on, and celebration of, everything that is wrong with the world and the seeming deficit of addressing the things that bring us joy.

Music is one of the things that brings me joy. I simply wanted to share songs that I like. I know not everyone has the same tastes that I do, and not everyone is going to like all of the songs I share. But I thought, if this reminds a couple of people of something they love, or if someone hears something brand new that they like, then I have brought a little bit of positivity to my little corner of the world.

Somewhere along the line, fairly early, I realized that my posts had become something of a musical autobiography for me.The songs spark memories of things I want to share. They are stories, and I think sharing our stories is another way of connecting in positive ways. Memory is important to me, and to no surprise, as I get older, nostalgia plays a bigger role. I live in fear of my memory and my stories slipping out of my brain. I’ve never been very good at keeping a journal, though I’ve tried many times, and I’m envious of my friends who do. I always start with the best intentions, then get too wrapped up in experiencing life that I forget to document it. These musical memories are a form of retroactive journaling. For everything I write in one of my posts, there are many more memories associated with any of these songs. It has been a great exercise in reiterating my past.

 If you’ve been reading these it’s obvious that I’m a music hobbiest in kind of crazy ways. When I get into something, I get really into to it. After all these years I still love discovering new music – new to me anyway. I realize some of what I discover is old music that I have just never experienced. Something that has happened with these posts that I didn’t expect was the great variety of comments I have received. Other people are sharing their stories and associations with this music. I’ve been told stories of encounters with rock stars, and concerts that people have attended, and who your favorite bands and what your favorite songs are. People are recommending new music to me, which I always love to explore. I have had interactions with friends that I seldom interact with, and that strengthens those connections.

I hope the daily posts haven’t become tedious, or feel too self-centered. My little experiment of trying to bring a little bit of joy into the world has been successful for me in ways I didn’t expect. Music of all sorts has been such an amazing companion to me on my journey, from a very young age. I know that it has been the same for others. Tell me your stories. Tell me your favorite songs and artists. Let’s all celebrate the things we love, musically or otherwise. That’s the only song that can help drown out the negativity.