Life-Changing Music
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Life-Changing Music

Songs that helped me escape to better worlds

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Life-Changing Music
Joshua Earle

Far too often, I see people with heads down and a definite glint of negativity in their eyes. You may be one of them. I have. Even the most positive people need an escape from the harsh realities of Earth.

I believe that a story is the greatest creation of the mind. I told this to a friend of mine once who disagreed saying it is all formulaic and that our brain is snatching patterns in nature. He said that every story is the sum of these parts and that each one is essentially the same story just with certain variations. While I do not disagree with him because what he said is valid and probably utterly true, that is not how I view a story.

A good story lets you escape to a another world where adventure and a new life may begin. For those of you who know me, I try to escape to my own world as much as possible, which is why I need to be completely engaged in what I am watching, reading or playing. That is also why I do not consider going to the movies to be a date. Sorry!

Personally, a simple way to escape to a world of my own and one that is not created by another mind (i.e. when watching movies) is listening to my favorite music. The following songs are important to me for a plethora of reasons. Every time I hit play on each of these pieces of music, I recall life-changing memories that carry me to a better place. I create fictional stories and worlds where perfection is still a far-gone notion, but the journey is not.

As promised, here are my favorite songs to listen to when I need to escape from the reality we live in:

Montage

Kicking off the list is probably the most fun-sounding one. "Swiss Army Man" has become important to me in that everything surrounding it (the message, the soundtrack, the trailer, the movie itself, etc.) have all excited me and made me feel uplifted and happier. "Swiss Army Man" has helped me become more of myself in ways I cannot describe.

Rise (Superfruit Cover)


Recently, I started getting into Pentatonix and suddenly this music video popped up on my recommendations. I casually listened to it while doing some statistics homework and was blown away. I nearly cried on the hypothesis test I was working on! This was at a time where I was struggling to find something uplifting in my day-to-day life. It was a time where I felt like I was just surviving rather than living. Then the first words came up, "I won't just survive. Oh, you will see me thrive." Such a moving cover.

Brave Enough


If you read my last article (https://www.theodysseyonline.com/favorite-musician...), you would know that Lindsey Stirling is my new favorite musician. I struggled to decide which song of hers to put in here, until I realized "Brave Enough" moved me the most. The perfect mix of violin, electronics and vocals, this song inspired me to get up and be Erik Homberger around everyone pass.

Melodies of Life


Oh my what a beautiful part of a beautiful story. "Final Fantasy IX" is one of my favorite video games of all time not only because of its gorgeous visuals and gameplay, but also because of its insanely engrossing story that has a feeling summed up with this song. It is also a song that is personally important because the first time I heard it my brother had showed it to me in order to ease the pain of my father's death. Recently, we received pictures of what he looked like about 2 years prior to his passing (he had moved to Germany when I was still in elementary school and we never saw him again). I almost forgot to sleep as I flipped through the images and listened to this song remembering the many memories I have of him during my childhood.

Tundra


This song is both dramatic and has an overarching beauty to it. It was sung at two choir festivals I was a part of and I could not stop listening to it afterwards. I feel as though I am flying through landscapes unseen by man and finding a new reality untouched by pollution.

What You Own


Another Day


Last year, I was going through another questioning time where I was discovering how far I would go and how much effort would I put in to accomplish my dreams, whether that is with a career or with relationships. That was when I first watched "Rent." I realized that it takes a bit of failure and pain to realize what you want and what you would do to get it. Both of these songs motivated me to look up at the stars and say, "I am going to get there someday."

Asleep


Where is my Mind

Even though these are from a relatively mediocre film with sexualized fight scenes (in its defense, it takes place in a brothel) and even though these are both covers that have been criticized as horrendous, there is something about them that I find hauntingly or dramatically appealing. There is sadness in them, but also determination, love and compassion. When they open up into their climax, I feel as though I could take on anything or open up my heart to a complete stranger. This movie as a whole has an oddly appealing effect on me (it is not the sexual nature of it!...even though Emily Browning is my celebrity crush).

Bakusou Yume Uta


You may think that this is an odd one...and you would be right. "Soul Eater" is a creative anime that I found to be just okay. However, this ending song stuck with me. I listen to it when I am productive and imagine the camera panning around my desk creating a montage of me working hard for the greater good.

Warning Signs


An unexpected gem from a movie based on some of my favorite video games, this song that played during the credits is more than a generic rock song. I think of it as an opening or a calling to a new adventure somewhere where help is needed. I feel as though it is summing up the previous skirmish and prepping you for the newer, bigger one.

Calling All Dawns


No this is not a 45 minute song. "Calling All Dawns" includes several movements, all which I could include on this list. However, I cannot include just one because to get the full, otherworldly experience of Christopher Tin's masterpiece you have to listen to it from beginning to end.

To Glory


By far, Two Steps from Hell has created some of my favorite music. You have probably unknowingly heard some of their pieces. They make a lot of music for various trailers for many mediums. I could have chosen any song I know of theirs and put it on this list (and trust me there are many). However, this is by far my favorite and also the one that gave me the inspiration to come up with the idea for the TV show I am writing! In fact, I mostly used music from Two Steps from Hell as inspiration for this TV series. I must thank them for that!

The Last Goodbye


In my opinion, this is the greatest thing to come out of "The Hobbit" movie trilogy. They are saying, "Goodbye," to Middle-Earth, which is one of the fictional worlds I would visit in a heartbeat! Of course I am going to cry to it! This song also has a personal connection with me. I reminds me of my time in high school where my friends and I made an infinite amount of memories that we still discuss and go back to when we meet up. Additionally, two of my best mates performed this at our baccalaureate. It still chokes me up remembering that moment.

The Long Song


"Doctor Who" is probably my favorite television series, and this song was the only one (other than the main theme) that stood out to me after 8 seasons. Not because the others are bad, but because this one embodies epic beauty and everything that the Doctor stands for. He will face monsters as big as the Sun and fight it with his pain, but also the power of his two hearts. I also think of a scenario of sacrifice when I listen to this. Someone giving up his or her life in order to save many others. Nothing is more beautiful.

Ave Maris Stella


Out of every song I have ever listened to (and that is a lot of music), there is not doubt in my mind that this is my favorite. That's right folks, you have stumbled upon Erik Homberger's favorite song in the world. I sang this at my last high school choir festival in Providence, Rhode Island. About 200 high school students from all over the East Coast got together and sang this piece (and others of course). It brought me to tears each and every time. I want this to be played at my funeral. Seriously. It incorporates the kind of passion and openness that I try to convey to the world every day. I may fail at that sometimes, but I will then listen to "Ave Maris Stella" and remember that the world we live in is not just made up of darkness, but also light and beauty. Yet, that light is just like music; we cannot see it, only feel it.

Do not get me wrong, today's world is a wonderful place. There are countless wonders I have yet to see with no hope of seeing them all before I die. However, when the world seems to be against you in every possible way, you need an escape. In your mind, you are free to fly through mountains, fight the good fight and save the universe. Now doesn't that sound like a beautiful and perfect function of the mind?

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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