The Music Of My Heart

Something I get asked a lot is, "What kind of music do you like?" Its a fair question since I still very new to music period. I think I listen and look at music a little different then most. Where some people choose a category of music, I choose what I like based on some simple criteria.

1) The sound has to appeal to me. not just on a sound level, but also in terms of the feeling it causes me to experience. I have to feel an emotional connection to what I am hearing. I never thought that music could make me happy, sad, angry, excited any of that stuff. I never experience emotion in that way before. It was a very different experience, feeling something inside me, a sensation, because of a sound I was hearing. I know that prolly seems really weird to read but I can't describe it any other way. It is just something inside me that tells me that the sound is good.

2) The words have to convey a meaning to me. Words are precious to me, and when a songs words are well chosen and crafted they can be as beautiful and moving as the notes on the page creating sound. The voice is an instrument and words are the mechanism in which the voice is played. Again, I know that sounds wild to some people but it is very true. How many times have you heard someone say they regret saying something. Words need to be chosen, savored, and picked with care and consideration. For me, a song can have great sounds but if the lyrics are bad I wont like it.

3) Theme is the last thing that is important to me. A song without a theme or a message is a book without a plot. When I listen to a song I like the sounds and the words to take me on a journey, to a destination. I don't always care where I am going, I just care that I am going somewhere. So many of the songs I have chosen for this blog take you somewhere, not always visually or personally, but sometimes spiritually.

I hope this makes sense to those who read it. I wanted to take some time to put into words what I sometimes have a hard time trying to say in person. I think it will also help you understand why I like the music I do.

My current top choices:

1) Lifehouse -- From Where You Are
2) Ryan Dan -- Like The Sun
3) Pavarotti -- Nessun Dorma
4) Mercy Me -- I Can Only Imagine
5) Sarah McLaughlin -- Ordinary Miracle

I am attaching a song that is very near and dear to my heart. It is called, "From Where You Are" by Lifehouse. When I listen to it, I think about all the people who are battling Cancer and those who have lost that battle. The song can really apply to anyone who has lost someone.

Break out the Kleenex!

LiveSTRONG!