Everyday I'm Shufflin'

Well, everyday I'm shufflin' my iPod. It seems like I am always listening to music. When I'm not listening to it, there is at least one song pounding around in my skull. In fact, I have just put my iTunes on shuffle, and as I write this post I will write down the names of all of the songs that have been played, and list them at the end. Also, I recommend any song or artist mentioned in this post.

My music taste has changed dramatically throughout my life. As a child, I was (sadly) part of the boy-band movement. N*SYNC, Backstreet Boys, and 98 Degrees... I was crazy about every single one of them. If I was told to choose, 98 degrees was without a doubt my favorite. Probably because of the song they sang during the credits of Mulan. That movie is the best! Anyway, my parents raised me on late 70s and 80s music, so growing up, ABBA, Queen, Journey, REM, Cindy Lauper, Duran Duran, and U2 were household staples. I must say that my love for 80s music has stuck with me all of my life. There is nothing like singing along to Dancing Queen by ABBA or Killer Queen by Queen--that's a lot of royalty.

The radio is where I heard most of the songs that I liked as an early teenager. Songs like Big Yellow Taxi by Counting Crows and Come on Over by Shania Twain were among my favorites. But as time progressed, my friends began to have a larger influence on what I listened to. For example, a friend got me Paramore and Relient K CDs for my 16th birthday. That was a pivotal moment in the role music held in my life. Getting those CDs brought me an incredible infatuation with music. I craved it. I needed it. It infected me like a virus; there was no getting rid of it. That day was the beginning of my loyal and long-term relationship with YouTube. Day and night, I spent hours on the video sharing website, frantically searching for a new favorite song, and hoping to discover new artists.

Since then, music has come to define a very large part of me. Not only is it a safe-haven from the world, but it has magical powers. Music, without fail, has the ability to sway my emotions. A 3 minute song has the incredible ability to bring me out of a depressed state into a state of complete contentment.  Music reminds me of the beauty of life. Every once and a while, or more often if I look for it, I come across a song that is the exact physical representation of how I am feeling, or what I am thinking about. It's as if the artist had lived as me, in my moment, and epitomized me as a song. They have written words to describe me, and have created music to express what words cannot. In these moments, I escape into the music. I let go of my mind, allow it to run free without any limitations. My heart swells with the crescendos and beats in time with the pulse of the music. My head often bobs and my toes always tap to the beat. Sometimes I can't resist singing along, and harmonizing with the melody. And other times, I have to dance. In these moments, I feel peace. In these moments, I feel like myself! 

Music helps me to feel close to my Heavenly Father. Christ once said, "The song of the righteous is a prayer unto me" (D&C 25: 12). I have witnessed the truth of that statement. Music has been present at the majority of the times I have been moved to tears because of feeling close to my Savior. Music has an incredible power when used to invite the spirit of God into our lives. It can change hearts and perform miracles.

I absolutely LOVE creating music. I wish I had enough talent to write my own music and perform it in front of thousands, but I don't. However, I take as much time as I can to re-create, or at least interpret, others' music. For example, I have tried to develop great skills on the clarinet. Doing so, working for hours on end to figure out one small passage, even a single measure of notes, and accomplishing that feat creates a warm and powerful feeling within me. It makes me feel worthwhile and able. I am continually trying to do so with the piano and my singing voice as well. I dedicate hours of the day to improving my musical skills, and if I have gained anything from it, the most important is inner peace and a clear mind. Music is cleansing, and I am grateful for it. 

As for my musical tastes now, it often varies from early 20th century artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra to Hip-Hop to Country to Soul/Gospel to Electric to Folk to Oldies to Pop to British Invasion to Jazz to Modern Alternative to 80s to Experimental to Acoustic to Punk Rock, and to Baroque, Classical, and Romantic period music. I even like to get my ears on a Gregorian Chant once and a while. And we mustn't forget everything in-between. Many people try to ask me who my favorite artist or band is, or what my favorite song is. Those are questions I could NEVER answer. There are so many different songs that are dear to my heart, and so many memories that are connected with specific artists, that I couldn't possibly remember all of the times I have said "This is my favorite song/band!" Of course there are artists that I follow closely and count down the days until their new album is released, and there are songs that I return to time and time again. However, I am always having new moments, new experiences, and discovering new music. That's the beauty of it; there will always be another song, another day, and another opportunity to use music to create a memory.

I encourage you to go on your own musical journey. Let music become a part of your life. Let it change your heart.

Songs, in order of "shuffle": (Amarillo by We Shot the Moon, Helena Beat by Foster the People, Get Your Back Off the Wall by Family Force 5, Swan Lake, Op. 20 by Tchaikovsky, That Thing You Do by The Wonders, Burn Me Down by House of Heroes, Vincent by Josh Groban, I'm Taking You With Me by Relient K, Saltwater Room by Owl City, I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables, Intermission by Senator and the New Republic, Book of Mormon Stories/The Golden Plates by Inside Out, In the Pine Forest from the Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, I Melt by Rascall Flatts, 1, 2, 3, 4 by Plain White T's, This is Our Town by We The Kings, O Light of Life by Mack Wilberg and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Sunshine by Matt Costa, Ready, Set, Go by Tokio Hotel, Lights by Journey, OMG(osh) by Usher, Breathe in Me by Dallyn Vail Bayles, Raise It Up from the August Rush Soundtrack, Running by David Archuleta, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Dallyn Vail Bayles, Nothin' On You by B.O.B and Bruno Mars, That's What You Get by Paramore, Around Us by Jonsi)