Coffee and Music
If you want to be a rock star or just be famous, then run down the street naked, you'll make the news or something. But if you want music to be your livelihood, then play, play, play and play! And eventually you'll get to where you want to be.
In rediscovering what makes my soul glow, it occurred to me that it isn't the big things, the massive milestones of life, turning 30 or 40 or 50, but it's the every day little things that I need.
Just as Eddie Van Halen said, if you want to get somewhere, you got to do it a lot to get there, every opportunity that you get, you have to grab with both hands to find the inner shine of your life. The things that make you cry with laughter or bring a spring to your step.
It's not easy to find these things every day when we are so often dragged down by the negatives of the world around us. Everyone seems to be fighting battles, some carry their battle scars better than others and we sometimes get caught up in the fray.
Something I have always loved is good music. Music that grips my heart and sways my hips as if it was my lover whispering sweet nothings in my ear and capturing my heart.
Do you know what an earworm is?
I learned this about 5 years ago when I had a huge milestone event in my life and through the entire day I had a song singing in my head in circles as if it was embedding itself with the emotions and actions of the day. I still to this day cannot listen to that song without getting teary eyed because it takes me straight back to the moments of that day, the huge life event that would forever change my world.
Music stirs the emotions and brings our heart forth. Have you ever heard the saying "when life is good we hear the music, when life is bad, we hear the lyrics?" It's so true that music unites us in ways that not many other art forms do. I've never met someone who didn't like some or other kind of music and while it is varied, it is still a universal tool of cohesion.
A few days ago this was my ear worm - INXS Never Tear Us Apart
Today I put this on while drinking coffee and thinking about life. About the future, about all the things I want to experience, about love and what it feels like. I remembered feeling butterflies in my tummy and the kind of quivering sensations that this song lifted up in me.
It made my soul dance and I felt happy, healthy, desirable, beautiful. It was exactly what I needed to start my day.
Eddie Van Halen was a legend in music. He and his guitar have contributed to the shape of music now. He was prolific with the guitar and created music that still inspires young individuals like myself looking to delve into that world.
Music has immense power to instill deep emotions in us. It is a language that everybody understands, even little children.
There is no day I go without music in my ears. It is fundamentally my daily driver.
For now, I am listening to Alec Benjamin. He has a way with words in his songs, including beautiful arrangements of his sound.
Do you have favorite artists?
He most certainly was and still is. That power you speak of I know it well, it's quite unrivaled by any other one kind of thing in life.
I'll check out Alec Benjamin. I like artists who pour their hearts into their songs.
I probably have too many to mention and my taste in music is wide and varied, some of which people don't like (electro body music for example). A lot of the old greats are in there though even including Stevie Ray Vaughn and U2 to Pink Floyd and Queen, some country, some rock, some classical, I'll happily listen to something at least once before I decide.
You sure do have a wide eye for music and genres. I am like that too. There are many types of musicians I can listen to. If your music appeals to me, and speaks volumes, I would like it.
Do you have a theme song? Like you know when in movies there's always that one song that speaks about the main character and gives the movie more depth? Mine would be Nine Inch Nails Just Like You Imagined... It reminds me of those sped up scenes of cities taken from the sky where you see the traffic build up and the sun rise and then there's this hectic bustle during the day and then things calm down again. That is my theme song, it is powerful and full of energy. It says a million things to me without any lyrics at all.
What's your theme song Joe?
Hmmm...I have never thought of any song like that before. I really can't say, but I'm thinking G.O.A.T. by Polyphia.
I have now listened to your theme song and I must say, I love it!
How are you doing with work over there? You in Adelaide too?
OOh I really dig that song, how have I never come across it before? It's brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing it with me, this is totally going into my collection of awesomeness. The preciseness of the guitaring is amazing.
All good this side, I'm going for an interview on Thursday so things might be changing drastically work wise. I'm north west of Adelaide.
And on your end? What's happening that side?
I was blown away when I first heard that song. I mean, I play the guitar, and I know the intricacies involved. It indeed is a brilliant work of art.
Oh, is that interview for the same work, or something else?
The state of the economy isn't so good at this time over here, but I am holding up just fine anyways. I am a student, by the way, and I'm currently in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
It is totally worth listening to and I'm so glad you sent it! Have you tried playing it on your guitar?
Totally different line of work, writing actually. A lot of commuting but if I get it, it will solve many issues so I'm optimistic.
I understand it's quite bad there in Nigeria, but if you look around the world, the entire world wide economy is struggling and there are rumours of this recession turning into a depression which doesn't bode well for any of us. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
Oh, yes. I learned the intro, actually. But not the entire song. It's quite tricky and intense to learn and play. I love it, anyway.
I really hope you get the job, especially that'll solve a lot of problems for you. Might I ask, what kind of writing will it be?
Nigeria might as well be having it better than so many other places as our problems don't seem to change much, they just increase in size. The world is not in a great place right now, and I do hope, fervently, that things get better.
Ahh, good music and coffee. What more does one need? ☕️☮️
Not a huge amount, it's a pretty good combo for a day off 😁
It surely is. I also took it easy today, a bit of music and some tea in the evening. 🍵
Excellent Emma, start your day with the music that connects you with your essence and caresses your living in the present to truly embrace and enjoy every moment from the most favorable angle for you.
Receive a big hug for being an inspiration to others
That's the plan. I've got to collect the things that make me happy these days as I'm about to embark on a whole new chapter of life. I'm not sure what it will throw at me, but having these little things will help me through.
Sending hugs to you too 🦋
With my best wishes Emma, may all that you are about to experience be activated in this new script in your life story, and may it be a blessing for your life.
My affectionate solidarity for you always 🌲
Music is definitely a very powerful and great medium! I’ve been enjoying all kinds of different music lately, largely focusing on older music and classics like johnny cash or Frank Sinatra. When you get those types of songs and the memories it brings you back to its great!
I love Johnny Cash, what a legend. He had a very interesting life story too.
There has been such awesome lyrical genius from the years gone by, these days it's just not the same unfortunately, a lot of the songs sound the same but every now and then a great one is born.