Music and Me
One of the most treasured memories I have of my childhood is sitting at our terrace at dusk on Sundays with my dad's stereo cranked all the way up, the four of us just sitting down, listening to the music sometimes talking,other times me and my brother doing our homework, but no matter what we were doing we were surrounded by melodies and words from various artists so diverse that sometimes i surprise myself and my friends about my knowledge of certain artists and songs so obscure that you only hear it on the am radio. Music was and still is a big part of my life, i think that's one legacy my father instilled in us. Songs, like certain smells, transports us back, memories can be so vivid that we remember what we were feeling, who was with us at that time, sometimes, even what we were wearing. i just wanted to make a little testimony of how music has affected my past, present and future and also relive certain events in my life through one of the most powerful medium of expression...music (plus our network is down so i can't really "work")
Childhood
Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline, Superstar, Coming to America
when i was in kindergarten my dad used to travel a lot and i would cry everytime he leaves, so he would play neil diamond records for me so that i won't get hysterical when i wake up and find that he is not there anymore. well what do you know it worked, he would also put it on early in the morning to wake me and my brother up for school, he kept doing this until i was in fourth grade when i broke our turntable by scratching a record 'till the needle broke.
Elvis Presley - Devil in Disguise, Return to Sender
we really didn't have playmates when we were growing up, our house is located in a very busy street so you can't really go out and play, so me and my brother would find ways to entertain ourselves,we would put on elvis' records and he would start to lip synch it and i would just roll on the floor laughing. i particularly liked when he did return to sender because his expression is just hilarious what made it more amusing is that fact that he was around 5-6 at that time but he would know the words to the song, it would turn a boring summer day into something fun and silly
Simon and Garfunkel- Homeward Bound, Mrs. Robinson and the Boxer
i was in sixth grade i got bit by the NKOTB mania so i was constantly playing their songs till the tape broke, however i also started listening to simon and garfunkel on the sly and fell in love with their songs i would listen to it every night before i sleep it made me want to write songs (i started doing it but stopped because i sucked at it and i also threw away all my notebooks) oh, boys were also mean in sixth grade.
James Taylor - Sweet Baby James, Fire and Rain, You Got a Friend
summer before i started highschool, i spent it outside of the city, campaigning for the elections in our province. at night me and my cousins after a long day of going around town would sit outside of our house under the mango tree, fireflies everywhere, not bothered by the mosquitoes telling ghost stories and eating junk food.
Don McLean - Rocky Mountain High, Leaving on a Jet Plane
i have a revelation to make, i took voice lessons while i was in fourth grade, however i was also very shy, so the day before my recital i quit voice lessons because i didn't like the idea of singing infront of an audience and just sang in front of the mirror in my room with a flashlight for a microphone. leaving on the jet plane was part of my repertoire.
West Side Story Soundtrack - Various Artists
this is the first movie (non-animated) that made me cry. i borrowed the tape from my best friend for the summer and i would watch it over and over again. up to this day it still makes my eyes water.
*to be continued
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