music education

I'm a writer that works best with background music. I've already written about my writing playlists, and how it sets the mood for a scene I'm working on, or a character. Music has always been a big part of my life. I grew up listening to music from the '50s, '60s, '70s and a little into the '80s. And of course in my formative years, I was very much in love with the Seattle grunge scene, and then on into the trance and electronic scene (yeah...no one said my taste in music was selective).

And I have distinct memories of dancing around my den with my father to everything from classic rock to soul. The music there would be so loud at times I'd have to shout up to him...ok, maybe some of that could have been due to my height as an eight year old or something. But still...

And I also have distinct memories of being sent to bed on the other side of the house, and could feel the music vibrate through my walls and hear it coming through my partially open door. And I loved it. Maybe that's why I now have to constantly have music on. I'm not such a big fan of the pure silence.

Tonight, for some reason, I had Otis Redding stuck in my head. Yeah, you can probably guess the one. I'll give you a hint: "Watching the ships roll in, / And I'll watch 'em roll away again, yeah, / I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay..."

Was that the one you were thinking of?

Anyway, I checked out iTunes, but kind of wanted a little more than just that song. So then I went over to Amazon and have found my one new item to stick to the top of my Christmas wishlist: The Incredible Soul Collection. Maybe when I was 16 I would have felt lame for wanting "oldies" music, but at 26, I just have to think "man, did I grow up with some great music!"

I know, I know...It wasn't my time, but I did grow up with it. I started listening to the Amazon sampler, and the first song just totally made my night. And each one, I was thought back to my den so many years ago. I like to pass along recommendations, though I don't do it too often on here. But this CD I will. And I'm sure there are others that are slightly different, but just as good. That's the beauty of Amazon. You can just keep going through and finding more.