Music Experiences

Listening to music is an intense experience for me. I love music of so many different styles and all for very different reasons. Music is not just about listening to a song - it is about the moment I hear a tonal shift or a regressive change in key - that one moment stops time and becomes part of my sensory memory palace. Every time I hear it from then on, I can immerse myself in that one moment again and again. I don't even have to physically hear it - I can play it in my head and become lost.

Music affects me physically - I think it just overwhelms me. I literally cannot listen to classical music without crying. It's something about the pitch and ferocity of the violin that just pushes the tears button in my brain. It can be a little embarrassing and it sucked when I used to perform with an orchestra. That's pretty much why I never pursued singing as a career - the music was too beautiful and being in the midst of it, caught up in that performance energy...it was too much for me. The tears would come and then I'd be singing through some mucus and that is just not a good thing. Ever.

I still love singing and playing the piano though. I don't do either often enough. It feels so good to get the vibes out. Singing and playing an instrument is the best way to express feelings that you have no other way of expressing - getting that out of your body and brain is intensely therapeutic. That's why when I drive, I sing. I rock out so I don't lose my mind from sitting in traffic for hours. It really does help. It's also why my husband probably hates it when I play the piano...I always end up playing Rachmaninov because I'm angry and his music is some wrathful, discordant shit.

This post brought to you by this fantastic album by Sufjan Stevens: Illinoise

Illinoise - YouTube


 The album is just all around fantastic. Thanks Sufjan.