The Music in Me

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. ~ Berthold Auerbach

How often do you take the time to listen to music? Do you turn it on while you’re doing your everyday chores? Does it play in the car while you’re driving from place to place? Do you blast it from your computer while you’re Myspacing or Blogging? Do you take time to sit and do nothing but listen while your favorite song plays?

In 2005 research was conducted to answer the question “Does Classical music make babies smarter?”

Numerous studies conclude that playing music to babies in the womb and in the early years helps build the neural bridges along which thoughts and information travel. And research suggests it can stimulate the brain's alpha waves, creating a feeling of calm; a recent study of premature infants found that they were soothed by the music.

And what about playing music? Does learning the piano, guitar, Cello, or any other instrument help you in life?

“Experience with music appears to help with many other things in life, potentially transferring to activities like reading or picking up nuances in tones of voices or hearing sounds in a noisy classroom better.” –Nina Kraus [Neuroscientist at Northwestern University]

So why does Music hold so much power? Why does it help you cry when nothing else could? Why does it allow for expression when nothing else does?
My IPod is one of my favorite possessions, it is always with me and always playing music. I call it my lifeline, my everything. It keeps me going when I’m down, allows me to feel when I’m numb and to sing when I’m bored. When I am asked what my favorite song is my answer usually sums up to “I could never pick just one, my favorite song changes from day to day because I’m always listening to new music, maybe I could give you my top 5 for the day.” So now I will share a few of my favorite songs with you.

The Fear You Won’t Fall – Joshua Radin
It hasn’t felt like this before
It hasn’t felt like home before you
And I know it’s easy to say
but it’s harder to feel this way
And I miss you more then I should
More then I thought I would
Can’t get my mind off of you

Love is – Hope
If you feel your hope is gone
Don’t you even think of falling
If you feel your strength is gone
Don’t give up the sun will shine in

Keep me in your heart – Warren Zevon
If I leave you it doesn’t mean I love you any less
Keep me in your heart for a while
When You get up in the morning and you see that crazy sun
Keep me in your heart for awhile

Keep From Singing – SheDaisy
How can I keep from singing
My life flows on in endless song
Through all the tumbles and the stride
I hear the music ringing
It finds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing
All things are mine since I am his
How can I keep from singing
Since Christ is lord of Heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing

My Guardian Angel [The Acoustic Song] – The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
When I see your smile tears run down my face I can’t replace
And now that I’m strong I have figured out how this world turns cold
And it breaks through my soul And I know I’ll find,
deep inside me I can be the one
I will never let you fall, I’ll stand up for you forever
I’ll be there for you through it all even if saving you sends me to heaven

The Death of me – City and Colour
Do I have nothing good left to say
Do I need whiskey to start feeling my complaints
People love to drink their troubles away
Sometimes I feel I would be better that way
Because maybe then I could sleep at night
My nerves will be the death of me I know

I know this list doesn’t give justice to even half of the songs I listen to on a daily basis but it’s a start. So my challenge for today…Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite songs are and of course take the time to sit and listen to something great! Soak it in and just enjoy the beauty in sound.

Without music life would be a mistake. ~Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche