music a 30 year love affair
If you’re not careful, the message that we are, in fact, living in perilous times can be overpowering. But I’ve been thinking lately that there’s been no better time for people who love music than right this very minute. As someone who remembers playing scratchy LPs on a stereo the size of my parents’ station wagon, I am enthralled by the ease with which I can play the music I want to hear. Because—let’s face it—the balm of music has the power to blunt even the most distressing news of the day, to give us courage, and to connect us all. I recently found an old friend from my San Francisco days via Facebook. He’s the type of guy who’s always humming a tune under his breath and absently trying out new dance moves at his desk, in his car, walking down the street. He frequently dispenses advice, wisdom, and commentary in the form of song-lyric snippets. I believe he knows the words to every song ever written. Music is his medium.
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When my friend and I have our online conversations, I feel like a baby bird being fed by its mother. We’ll be chatting away and he’ll write, “Are you ready for another?” and then up pops a YouTube video featuring a lyrically luscious song— usually of the electronica or obscure dance genres, by groups with names like Treasure Fingers, Santigold, and Fare Soldi. He “feeds” me in this way throughout our conversation, our chats flow with the rhythm of the music and we glide along, enjoying the ambience he spontaneously creates for us. I have been blessed with several friends who experience music as a sort of lubricant for their lives. These people all have a particular yen for ferreting out good music via channels with names like imeem, iTunes, and jango and through musiccentric radio stations such as KEXP and KCRW streaming to their laptops. Luckily, in addition to being hip, sensitive, resourceful individuals, they are generous; they share their finds with me. >>