On Music and Memories

I managed to make it out garage sale shopping a week or so ago. What with rainy weather and rehearsals on Saturdays, I haven’t been out hitting the garage sales like I would like, but on this paricular Saturday, the boys were off at their fathers and sons campout, and I was taking all the girls with me to a rehearsal/work day for Annie Get Your Gun, and I took the girls out for an hour of garage sale goodness before we had to be to rehearsal at 8:45. Yes, we scored some good stuff, of course. One of those things being a fabulous “Gucci” bag. I put Gucci in quotes there, because it’s probably not a real name brand bag, but I think it’s fabulous. Yes, I have a little love affair with purses, do you want to make something of it? But when I am spending $4 for a new purse, I don’t see what the problem is.

ANYWAY, I really didn’t want to talk about purses. I wanted to talk about music. Yes, music. I know. Strange way of getting to the point. Yes. But, I picked up two CDs at a garage sale, and they’ve taken me back!

I hear that saxophone solo in “NEVER TEAR US APART”, and I’m instantly back to my junior year at BYU. My little finch Stevie is chirping away, and my friend Robin is there at my side as we do our air saxophone. I hear “NEW SENSATION” and I think of a roadtrip to Montana.

Or I hear “WE WILL ROCK YOU” or “ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST” and I’m whisked back to good old Brighton High cheering my lungs out at a basketball game. Oh, nostalgia. My kids were laughing at my ‘silly music’, but they really liked the “I want to ride my bicycle song” and had pretty much learned most of the words to that one by the time the day was over.

Music can really bring back the memories, can’t it? And it’s such a powerful emotional tool. Have you ever been watching a scary tv show or movie that got a little too scary? Just press the mute button. Without the music building and building it’s not so scary, right?

We’ve played This is the Christ in our bell choir for a few of our concerts, and I have to say that every time I play it, I get a little bit choked up inside. The message, the music, and the words are so powerful, that I can’t deny the spirit that fills my heart even when we are just rehearsing it.

Do you have those musical memories that come with certain songs? When I hear Raspberry Beret I think if my friend Ger, Simply Irresistible makes me think of Patty and Robin, and more than one Chicago song make me think of my brother. I used to love the Sugar Plum Fairy from the nutcracker, but after we played it in our first Christmas concert, I still haven’t really recovered from the stress. I can’t hear that song without cringing. Fishing in the Dark belongs to Michelle, and Three times a lady makes me think of Melinda and Sharmyn. And there are many, many more songs that bring back vivid memories for me. Is it that way for you, too?

I’m glad I have those memories, too. Because maybe when I’m old I will hear a Queen song and it will, even then, take me back to high school.