My LOVE for music

Words cannot express the depth and meaning that is within the music of Norah Jones. There is so much soul to her voice that I can't imagine not having her music to listen to. If I were a popular musician I would probably want to emulate one of 2 people: Norah Jones and Tori Amos. These two ladies have influenced my musical standards and helped me to get through some rough times. A friend of mine was saying how certain music can bring up many memories regarding the times he listened to certain CDs and groups. I share that same opinion.

Music is my life. I can't even remember life without music. I could not even fathom life without music! I have been playing piano since 2nd grade, and I truly have my parents to thank for giving me that opportunity. Who knew I'd be accompanying church mass every Friday at QAS by 5th grade or then taking that love with me to high school? I participated in Select Women's Choir and met some of my closest friends then. I've earned countless of awards and honors simply for my music. BTW Thanks Mr. Maynard for your encouragement and support for my vocal talent!

I loved music soo much that I took that with me to college. My parents really wanted me to go into medicine, which was originally how I entered at TSU. Despite the internal conflicts (and many tears) during my senior year of high school through sophomore year in college, I just could not ignore that I felt called by God to be an education major. It was a very wise choice, despite I did try to double major in nursing (but the conflict between the majors were too much). It is what I do, it is who I am. I think my parents eventually came around, they just wanted the best for me. About a month ago my Dad and I were talking about my student loans, and he said to me,"Well Amy, you know that was a good investment." That right there, said it all. It was like a weight being lifted, I finally felt a sense of accompishment after years of "Why the heck are you doing music? You are too smart for that!!!!". (I do still hear that from the immediate family though.) As for my mom, I think she 'came around' at my senior recital as my Dad said she was crying the whole time. But anyway I digress, I'm sure hearing about my entire musical history is not all that exciting.

My love of music is an extension of who I am. Even at TSU I would go to one of the big rehearsal rooms or one of the small practice rooms that had a baby grand and just play forever. I would go on a Friday or Saturday night (could have been any night really) and just play, not because I didn't have anything to do, but because I wanted to, I needed it. After practicing my required pieces, I would open up to random pages in my books and just sightread for hours, other times I would practice church music for Newman Center, but eventually I would pour my soul into the piano and just improvise. I really miss that. It was like an emotional release that cannot be had any other way, but to pour your heart out into the music coming from within.

Every now and again I will still go to my full sized electric Roland piano and play like I used to, but somehow it's not quite the same. Lately I have been content to play the music of others, especially Norah Jones simlply because I want to learn how to play Jazz music. Learning Jazz is like learning how to improvise with just the melody line and chords at church, only more complex. If I could find someone to teach me, and I could afford it, I would totally take a Jazz improvisation class to gain more experience and ideas with how to improvize using chords.

Going back to Norah Jones and Tori Amos. I need to mention a few things. First off I would like to thank Laura P, wherever she is, for introducing her to me. When I moved into my new home, Laura was to be my roomie, and she helped with some of the renovating. One night she brought over some CDs, one of those being a single from Jones: "Come Away With Me." We would just sit outside and talk and listen to the same song for hours it seemed. I miss that. I would say that Laura always had (and still does I'm sure) a flavor for finding music that I had never heard of, some good some not particularily interesting to me; none-the-less it was different and I thought it was cool. She also had a flavor for knowing movies lines and how to use them at the right time so they were funny. I remember being envious because I felt like I wasn't funny, and I'm horrible at remembering movie lines unless I've seen the movie 20x. I'm finding now that I miss hanging out with her and Liz. But I must digress again (I'm good at tangents can you tell? :)

For memories' sake I must include the lyrics of this song in my blog. To me it symbolizes starting over (even though the words are mostly a love song), because that's what I was doing when I heard it. I feel like I am once again, starting over, in a very positive way. A certain someone I know is doing the same thing, and this person's spirit is very much contagious for me, since we are almost in the same 'place.'

"Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones

Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song

Come away with me on a bus
Come away with me where they can't tempt us
With their lies

I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows
knee kigh
So won't you try to come

Come away with me and we'll kiss
On a mountain top
Come away with me
And I'll never stop loving you

And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I'm safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me

I know I'm going overboard in my length for this blog, but I have to include this song too. I learned how to play it on guitar with Dr. C's "Guitar for Elementary Education" class. It was the best class ever, I felt like I was not only learning an instrument, but also getting a glimpse at who Dr. C really was. I guess I'm missing a lot of people right now. Oh well. Here goes nothing:

"The Wind" by Cat Stevens

I listen to the wind
To the wind of my soul
Where I’ll end up well I think,
Only God really knows

I’ve sat upon the setting sun
But never, never never never
I never wanted water once
No, never, never, never

I listen to my words but
They fall far below
I let my music take me where
My heart wants to go

I swam upon the devil’s lake
But never, never never never
I’ll never make the same mistake
No, never, never, never

Thanks for reading my blog today :)