A Life in Music

 

For someone who loves music I don’t own an IPOD.  But if I had, I would easily max out a 16 Gig.  For the mean time I’m still doing it the old fashion way – download and burn to CDs, which I do periodically.  In fact I am running out of pockets to hold all of them.  I love how certain songs transports me back to specific times in life.  If some musicians write songs out of memories, I save my memories on these songs.  The other day I heard I Love You by Celine Dion, which triggered this entry.  It took me back to my Mech Eng’g class (ME63) and that loud radio playing from somewhere while we would wait for our oft late Prof. Oh, did I say he was cute, too?  Too specific. Vulnerable (Roxette), Love is All Around (Wet Wet Wet), No More I Love Yous (Annie Lennox) take me back to the UP CSA events that I took part in.  Selena’s I Could Fall in Love and Dreaming Of You were played repeatedly on a cousin’s debut, as such it’s what I recall whenever they’re on.  Lost in Your Eyes (Debbie Gibson) and Eternal Flames (Bangles) take me back to my Mandarin classes in Taiwan, Anytime (The Jets) to Grade 6 and If I Were a Butterfly (Kids’ Praise) to Grade 4.  Love Is A Many Splendor Thing (Four Aces) marks my parents’ anniversary, Through The Years (Kenny Rogers) my sister Nat’s wedding, Constant Change (Jose Mari Chan) Achi's, while Promise Of Love (Martin Nivera) was my walk down the aisle on my wedding.  My wedding reception flashes back on Love Changes Everything (Jason Donnovan) and The Perfect Year (Dina Carroll). And my last days prior to leaving home for Canada is poignantly recollected on Kanlungan (Noel Cabangon) L

 

Around the time Struan was born, I had just downloaded Joshua Radin’s album so I played it constantly at home.  So anytime I want to be in that moment again, I just play the entire album.  Anything Enya takes me back to my experience at The Nurture Spa in Tagaytay.   Air Supply and Cascades remind me of those moments with my older sisters before they left for Taiwan.  The Grease soundtrack and most of the 80’s remind me of weekly family gatherings, programs and plays I did with my cousins.  Dich influenced me the most on music in the 80’s.  Back in the days I was the young one who knew a lot of old songs.  When we went back home in 2006, we liked the CD selection that played in the car that we used most often during our trip, so Simon let us take it back with us.  Every time we play it, it reminds us of that trip, especially the traffic that seemed to just disappear in the songs.  This is why I don’t mind long drives to USA, as I would have hours and hours to play my selections and reminisce significant moments back then.

 

I won’t last long in a space without music.  It’s something Sherwin and I can’t live without.  How Do I Live (Trisha Yearwood) is the first of many songs that we sang along through figuratively and literally.  Classical music plays incessantly on the kids’ rooms.  And the rest of the rooms in the house has to have a player.  Except for Struan who turns them off out of being kalikot, the kids are getting used to it, and even Stefan loves music.  He is long over his Thomas Trackside Tunes CD and the CARS soundtrack.  He likes just any genre now.  He’d even sing along to Bad Romance (Lady Gaga), Boom Boom Pow (Black Eyed Peas), Wavin’ Flag (K’naan),... and even El Shaddai (Amy Grant).  He even loves to make up his own lyrics, just like his dad and ii-peaNAT.  And, believe me, at some point he liked Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond).

 

On second thought, maybe it's time for this cheapskate to get an IPOD.

 

Photo by devianart

 

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

Berthold Auerbach

Why waste money on psychotherapy when you can listen to the B Minor Mass?

Michael Torke

Music is what feelings sound like.

Author Unknown