MUSIC THAT MOVES ME

Free-Dancing in the Kitchen

We have always had music in the kitchen along with every other room in the house. The Royster makes sure that there is music everywhere in the house as well as in the garage and back yard. That’s one of his M passions. He seems to be passionate about things that begin with the letter M. There’s Mom, Michael (his son), Melissa, Music, Money, Muscle Cars, and Motorcycles. I’m sure that there are more M’s, but these are the most evident. And of these M’s, the very biggest one for him is music.

For every MP3 he compiles of various artists for himself, he makes one for the kitchen stereo, and one for my stereo in the truck. Among these are The 1812 Overture, Kitaro, Pink Floyd, definitely Susan Boyle for sure, The Indigo Girls, Brenda Lee, Diana Krall, Susan Tedeschi, James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Carly Simon, Elton John, The Boss Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, The Everly Brothers, and Buckwheat Zydeco. The list could go on forever. I will have to say that he’s never made an MP3 that included The 1812 Overture however, but it does play on in my head on occasion. And then there is Susan Boyle. I don’t think she has anything out yet, but you can be assured I’ll have one of hers as soon as it comes out.

This morning, while free-dancing to Sam Cooke on my kitchen stereo, I was thinking of the importance of music. I have long believed that different music affects different people in different ways, and I’m sure it just depends on the beat going on in your head and the blood coursing through your veins; your temperament, your chemistry and your moods, who you are and where you’ve been. It’s not only important to certain people, but it moves the entire world. Everyone in this world responds to music in one form or another. It moves people to new ideas and feelings and inspires important decisions.

It doesn’t matter if you are conscious of what’s on the radio or not; it’s affecting you. Even with the sounds of silence in the yard in the morning or in the night, there is a beat, a tune or a tempo in every breeze, bird singing, frogs chirping, water running, falling rain, the hum of an air conditioner, distant trains and your very own heartbeat. There is music everywhere.

Music, whatever it is attached to, be it dancing, singing, playing a musical instrument, or just hearing a rhythm in one’s head, is moving us at all times. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with physics. Even sports activities and events are subject to these beat and rhythms. Images of our universe are always accompanied with dramatic music. People are inspired by sounds they hear around them to compose music, songs, and dances or even to write stories and poetry. Some people are instantly lifted up to feel joy, while some music will move someone else to tears. Music will take you back to places in your heart of long ago, and awaken old memories. It will make you hum, sing, sway and dance. Smells and aromas are powerful and thought provoking, but not the way music will move a person. Music just moves my feet! I suspect that I might have missed my calling.

Getting back to free-dancing in the kitchen … I’m pretty darned good at this, especially unobserved, and at times like that I could really use a whole basketball court. I’m always delighted when The Royster joins me in dancing in the kitchen. That’s always special to both of us. It says that for the moment we’re both on the same frequency. Not that we’re at odds at any given time, but that we just happen to be more in tune with each other at that time, without any words needed.

Whatever happens to be on my plate, the music in the kitchen is very special to me. It lifts my spirits, boosts my energy, substantiates my life dramas and, in moments of sadness, will join me to make the sadness more bearable. Mostly, music is my friend, and is always there to host my every mood.

I think I’ll keep dancing in the kitchen and listening to compositions made in the silence of night and morning awakenings. It is life in process.