I’d lose my mind without music. I grew up listening to the radio, spinning LP’s on the turntable, and of many topics discussed with friends, music was a priority. New album releases were a thing, and often compared to previous works.
I still play LP’s on the turntable.
When I was 16 I took up guitar. My aunt and uncle got me a beat up Fender Mustang. I had been learning on my aunt’s acoustic and progressing rapidly. I didn’t have an amp yet, but aunty did, so I used her amp when she wasn’t busy with it. Music sort of runs in the family. I have heard my grandpa was very musical, and my aunt had a country/bluegrass band for years.
I can remember sitting through their practices, taking it all all in, and loving every minute of it.
I’ve been to several mainstream act concerts. I also go to local/regional bars/clubs and check out the music scene. I know, and am known, by a lot of local musicians. Heck, Fri night I’m driving over 2 hours to see a band play at a chilli cook off.
I’ve been in cover bands for decades. I’m in a band now. Only this time we are doing original material. It’s been a lifelong passion, music. I would be a lost soul without it. Music encompasses my being, to the point where it just oozes out of me. I can’t stop it any more than I could stop a runaway train running 60 mph.
I have a music room! A P.A., a few amps, 6 guitars, microphones, recording devices, an electric drum kit (which belongs to my bassist,) cables, adapters, tuners, even the room itself has been deadened, to reduce echo, which drastically, and negatively, affects recordings.
I even have another 2000 watt PA in my shop*, that I turn on when I’m out there doing stuff, which is often. I run an old crappy receiver/radio through it, or plug my phone into it. My phone has 300 songs on it. I have my own personal radio station, for when I’m sick of the radio station.
I am a lot of things, but can safely say, to a great degree, I am music.
* My drummer had a P.A. head that did not work, and some old P.A. speakers he didn’t need or have room for. I was the lucky recipient. I fixed the P.A. head. I now have the capability to destroy the neighborhood! But with great power comes great responsibility. Nor do I care for visits from the county coppers.
Just about everyone these days are moving to independently powered P.A. speakers. Pretty much making the old P.A. gear obsolete. So you can pick that stuff up at bargain prices… Sometimes it’s even being given away.
Evidence Based Reality 
I get you on this. When I was being raised in a church, I did about every musical thing that my church offered. I was a soloist with the youth choir, I sang with the adult choir, played handbells, worked in the VBS music program, played guitar for the youth group, everything. When I left religion behind, I had to stay with music, and have sung with community choruses ever since. I usually don’t go to many concerts, because I’d rather be on the stage than in the audience.
Except now, this year, I’ve had to lose a large amount of weight and have badly needed a distraction to help me concentrate on other things than food. And I found the most amazing band right when I needed them. I’ve been obsessing over them and their music, and will be flying across the country in January to see their first live show since before quarantine. I almost always have a song playing in my head, and since February it’s been only their stuff.
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“I almost always have a song playing in my head.” Lol, me too.
I knew that you, PT, and Tildeb were musical souls, from another post somewhere on WP. I forget where now… I don’t know if it was here or someone elses blog. No matter…
You mind if I ask who the band is?
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The band is Steam Powered Giraffe. I went from never having heard of them to supporting them on Patreon very quickly. This is the first song I heard from them, and so was kind of a gateway drug. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojYK6CW8gdw&ab_channel=SteamPoweredGiraffe
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Wow. Very melodic. Not my usual thing, but it drew me in. An emotional invoking presence these guys.
I’ll investigate them further when I get time
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I sometimes describe them as “what happens when the theater kids start a band”. Try “Brass Goggles” next. Or “Hot on the Trail”.
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I’m not one to listen to singers (prefer instrumentals), but I liked these guys!
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Wasn’t my kind of thing either, but they have a musical presence that is hard to deny. I can appreciate talent, even if it’s not my style.
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Shell, oh my MY do I totally get it and what you mean! As a drummer growing up in middle and high school marching bands & concert bands, then in my own “rock band” with school buddies, forever beat in (pun intended) and seared in my mind, soul, and heart all our late 70’s thru mid-80’s rock/metal hits. And as you know, I idolized Neil Peart of Rush, the Lord of the Skins.
If there were no music to be heard, performed, played on our stereos at home or in vehicles… I know without a shadow of doubt I would go bonkers insane in this world! I would be able to calm myself, or release pent-up energy, much less avoid being thrown in a looney house or prison. 😄
Simply put music is life-giving and life-enhancing. Period! 🎵🎶 Otherwise, we become “Dust In the Wind”… 🤭
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Man, Peart and Bonham, top of the heap in drummers past and present.
Yeah, I’d die inside were they to take music from me. But they couldn’t take away what’s in my head 😉
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‘They might be able to take my music, but they will NEVER take my drumsticks out of my beating hands!”
— Nutcase Drummer Somewhere
😎
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“If you can’t handle me randomly blurting out song lyrics that relate to what you just said, we can’t be friends.”
I endorse this message.
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I had to Google it 😉
I didn’t know it was a thing. Now I want the shirt.
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Hello. I can relate. I never played an instrument despite many offers in childhood to be taught and wish I had taken them up. But I did sing and had a good singing voice.
I understand needing to hear songs. I need / must have constant input to my brain or my mind goes places I do not want, so I lose control of my thoughts. I need the incoming info / data / music to focus on to keep that from happening. When I get up in the morning to get dressed and go feed cats, start coffee, and all morning chores, the first thing I do is put in my ear buds and start a podcast. Same for getting ready to shower, the shower speaker is set up to play what I have on my phone. Or anything else I do, I have the sounds in my ears. I went from music to podcasts because sometimes music triggered the very thoughts I was running from, trying to block. A lot of people don’t understand the need to have music or the TV playing in the background. I really do.
Shelldigger keep playing on, keep your music flowing. It is part of you, who you are. Best wishes and hugs.
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Was it Popeye? I ams what I yam. 🙂
I’ll turn the stero on in the house, or turn the P.A. on in the shop, just to have a steady flow of music. Of course in the car too. When I’m messing about, house chores, mechanic work, whatever, I like to have music in the background. It occupies my brain while I can tend to other things.
About to head out right now to go see a band, will have some jams in the car the entire way.
Good to see you Scottie, be well man.
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I understand your feelings entirely. I started piano when I was five yeas old going to a conservatory of music and kept at it until I was twelve when I burned out. Between recitals for the conservatory and involuntarily “volunteered” to play for every freaking special event, music festival, church event, etc I couldn’t deal with it any more. No one bothered to ask me if I wanted to play, they just threw sheet music at me and told me I was going to play.
Fortunately that didn’t wreck my love of music. I like pretty much everything from jazz to rock to punk to classical. I spent the 70s going to every concert I could wrangle tickets for. MrsGF and I had almost front row seats for one of the last live performances B.B. King did. MrsGF was a department head at a small liberal arts university and we got free tickets to all of the concerts. Got to see Chick Corea and met him in person and talked to him at a reception later.
Lately I’ve been on a 1930s and 40s music binge, lots of big band, jazz, etc. Pre-covid days I even went to Polka Fest in Pulaski every year.
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I shoulda known Grouchy was musical. 😉
I took some piano lessons when I was a kid, it didn’t take. I was more interested in building ramps and seeing how many trash cans I could jump with my bicycle.
That damn Evel Kneivel ruined my piano career!
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I don’t know how I feel about this. I enjoy music but can’t dance and there is no chance whatever comes off my vocal cords could be tuned by any known instrument. Music has been a good companion when I wanted to cry but I would substitute it with a book. In short I may probably be ok without music.
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Haha, I have 2 left feet myself. If I had to dance for my supper I’d go hungry.
I used to think I’d never be able to do anything remotely known as singing, but I managed to acquire the ability to a limited degree. Doing that while playing a not so simple rhythm on a guitar is an art form. After having to learn how, I have the utmost respect for those who make it look easy.
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If someone’s life depended on my dancing, they should just forget about it.
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In my younger days, music WAS my life. I took piano lessons at a very young age, took part in several “recitals”, was an accompanist for a choir, served as the church pianist (in those days!), and simply played for my own enjoyment for MANY years. Today? Even though I own an electronic keyboard, it mostly gathers dust.
Sad, I know.
Choice of music today is cool jazz, occasionally Latin jazz, some classical, New Age, and easy listening. However, I rarely listen to music at all anymore. Mostly on Pandora before the news comes on.
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Love it,
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