Soundtrack

"It's not as good as the book." That's what I usually say when a book has been made into a movie. No matter how good the film version of the story may be, of necessity much of the original is left out of a screenplay and it frustrates me. One important, soul-reaching thing film versions have going for them, though, is their soundtracks. Movies would not, could not be as good as they are without the music in them. Film soundtracks leave penetrating impressions and memories. I own more soundtracks than regular albums!

I once taught a year-long class called "Senses" to a group of youth that was a combination of music theory, music appreciation, and poetry. The first class assignment was to write an essay on three songs they each felt made up the soundtrack of their lives and why. It can be difficult to narrow the summation of your life's story to three songs, but the chosen songs were as unique as each student and the reasons behind the choices were compelling. 

I take my music seriously. It is an important part of my life. For years I have wanted to share the music I love and how the songs that make up the soundtrack of my life lift, inspire, and motivate me. Fortunately, I don't have to narrow it down to three.

I am blessed to have a father who loves music and though I suppose I came to Earth with an innate love of music, my father had a great influence on me. I am told that when I was a baby he would come home from work to find me and my mother in the rocking chair--both of us crying. I was a colicky infant and gave my mother a hard time. My father would take me at that point, put on some music and/or sing, and dance with me until I finally calmed down and fell asleep. I remember many nights from my childhood when, after we children went to bed, Dad would put a vinyl record on the stereo, lay down in the middle of the living room floor, and absorb the music, unwinding from his day. I don't think he knew that I often curled up in the hallway, just out of sight, and listened with him. As I grew up  I went from dancing on his shoulder being rocked and soothed, to standing on his toes, next swinging with him in the kitchen, living room, or at Daddy Daughter dances at church. There are several songs that can instantly take me back—vividly—to my childhood, where I see among other things, Dad cleaning out the garage while listening to an 8-track, Dad interrupting Mom cooking, trying to get a dance in the kitchen . . . then my sister and I jumping on our bed, or flashes of junior high and high school dances. Between my father and now my teenagers, I am very familiar with eight decades of music.  Couple my love of music with my love of history and you’ll find hundreds of years of “the latest” music on my iPod, computer, and shelves.

This page will contain a list of the songs of the soundtrack of my life, in no particular order, as I have time to write about them and how they have influenced me. I hope you'll find something to think about and maybe a few good songs will work their way into the soundtrack of your life, too.

"I Can Only Imagine"