music ...

You know when you hear a song and you smile, or your ears tingle a little, a tear comes up and sometimes you can actually feel your heart get warmer. I love the memories music holds for me - both good and bad. I love that I feel music; not just hear it. When I was growing up there was always music in our house - LP's on the hi-fi and 8-tracks in the boat (geez now I feel old). I was weaned on Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66 - I know all the words to 'The Fool on the Hill'. Do you even know that song? And don't get me started on 'The Sound of Music' or 'Paint Your Wagon' soundtracks! Scientists have proven a significant correlation between music and memory; just 'google' it and you'll be online for hours. But, I'm talking about the emotion, not just the memory; I feel it. Wikipedia suggests this comes from a well developed Episodic Memory and a 'unique physiological pathway from the amygdala into the prefrontal cortex'. OK (actually, I understand what that means being all 'sciency' as I am). I hear Acoustic Alchemy 'Ballad for Kay' and tear up at how beautiful my sister looked on her wedding day; Thomas sang Rod Stewart 'Forever Young' to Alexander while I secretly watched and wept; 'La Vida Loca' (gak! Ricky Martin) was the song blasting on the radio while Andrew and I drove from Rome to Perugia and he learned to blow a bubble; the soundtracks from Out of Africa, Legends of the Fall, and Braveheart all give me goose bumps. How about the songs that just grab you real-time - like Coldplay 'Viva la Vida' and Jack Johnson 'Upside Down' just make me happy, and Chris Brown 'Forever' makes me want to dance! Music is food for the soul - go turn it on, keep eating!