For as long as I can remember music has always been one of my greatest Happy Fixes. My dad gets the credit for this. When we were little, I remember that he used to have my siblings and I listen to classical music. We loved Peter and the Wolf. He would teach us about the sounds the different instruments made and ask us to identify them in different pieces of music. I remember going to the Eastman School of Music, just me and my dad, to listen to the the incredible musicians there. I think my love for my dad easily translated into my love of music.
There was always music in my house. My parents (especially my mom) loved to listen to my brother, sisters and I sing together. We were sort of the Roman Catholic Osmonds. Mom and Dad used to take us to the local amphitheater to see the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra play. We would take a picnic. We enjoyed the music, the weather, and being outside, together. It was a time to appreciate the art and beauty that surrounded us every day as well as to be with people we loved.
My husband and I have taken our love of music and passed that down to our sons. My youngest sings like a dream and hopes to do it professionally. My oldest son doesn’t sing but loves music. Both listen to all kinds of music and use it both internally and externally to motivate themselves and to celebrate the world around them.
Music brings people together. While some people like to play by themselves, at some point, most will share their talent with others. They may sing as part of a group. They may sing solo. Even if they sing solo, they need others to help provide the accompanying music. Eventually they need to share it with others. They may perform at church. They may perform at a bar. They may share their gift with a huge arena of people or around a campfire with friends. The key is that it’s pretty rare to see people bursting with music keeping it to themselves and not sharing it with others. I guess if they’re holding it close, they would be the only ones to know it.
This week I got an unexpected but incredibly welcomed gift. Amazon Prime announced that they are including music with their Prime subscription. I have been an Amazon Prime member since my oldest son left for college. While I like the free shipping and the video streaming, I was always pretty “meh” about the service. This week, Amazon rocked my world. I can now listen to music constantly without advertisements! Let me assure you I am not a shill for Amazon. I just love that they have this offering which adds tremendous value to my subscription and brings yet more music into my music laden household.
Whether you participate or sit on the sidelines and listen, music is connection. It’s a young father connecting with his oldest daughter by spending time listening together, discussing pieces and seeing live performances. It’s the daughter who then connects it with her son. It’s her son connecting with audiences at school, in recitals and at some point, professionally. There’s no doubt about it, music is written to be heard and connect with an audience. It has been and will always be my go to Happy Fix. I may be singing at the top of my lungs or I may listening intently but I’m always connected and remembering where that love came from.
