"What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands, of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery, and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"- Nick Hornby, 'High Fidelity'
It's 2 a.m. and I have spent the past several hours up talking to my 12-year-old daughter about music. It's a wonderful feeling, as a parent, to know I have passed this obsession on to my daughter. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who love music more than I do, but to have a confidante to share this with, no judgment passed, makes me beyond happy. I feel I have a hard time investing in music as I get older the way I could when I was in my teens. My daughter and I have a theory about that. We think that the emotional process of growing up and having the outlet of music to say things you sometimes don't even know you are feeling, and to know you're not alone with these thoughts and emotions when you're younger, has a humbling and lasting impression.
That being said, I'm partial to '90s music and have a strong opinion that it was the best generation for music. Kaylee, being raised by a '90s lover like myself, is partial to this opinion. We could go on for hours (and have on nights like tonight) talking about our favorite bands or songs and how they made us feel. Anything from Nirvana, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Weezer, Blink 182, Eminem, Garbage, Matchbox 20, The Cranberries, and Hole— we just can't seem to get enough!
I'm more inclined to choose depending on the mood I'm TRYING to get in, whereas Kaylee is the opposite, letting her mood pick the music for her. Whether you want to feel happy, have the motivation, or just something to wallow in, there are songs for every occasion. One of my favorite books/movies, "High Fidelity" by Nick Hornby, states: "What came first, the music or the misery?" That is a statement I am well acquainted with. To be lost in the music and emotion the artist is feeling so completely that it's hard to know if you were feeling this way to begin with or if it just pushed through while in this musical wonderland.
An artist has the liberty to express this process of life for us through song and turn it into something we can all enjoy. Sometimes all it takes is one good song and we're transported to a memory. A dance in junior high, a loved one, even a concert, or a time in our lives where we couldn't have made it through a situation without our musical muse. I can sometimes even listen to the same songs on repeat over and over when I get in one of these moods.
To take poetry and add a few notes and create a musical masterpiece is an astounding gift that I'm sure we all take for granted. I've always wished I had this ability but it's nice to know that, while I don't, I'm left in the capable hands of many who have mastered this gift. So, this is our thank you. To the musicians and artists who help us through our lives on a day to day basis. For saying the words we can't even begin to express through their wonderful talent. We are humbled and inspired by you, dear musical friends. Thank you.
