I’m not very musically inclined. I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, and I haven’t even tried to play an instrument since I dropped Band Class in eighth grade. I played the clarinet, for the record. For me, music has always been an unattainable talent that belongs in the realm of my older sister (who also played clarinet) and younger brother (who plays every musical instrument ever invented, with expert proficiency, the moment he touches it). Of course, lacking any musical talent of my own, I’ve fallen desperately in love with it as an art form, and have an amazing passion for the music that enters my life.
Also, I believe that every life should have a sound track. I believe it was an oversight during the construction of the universe that we don’t all have one. Of course, if we did all have our own naturally occurring soundtrack, then it probably would make music in general less amazing. Good music is there to resonate with our emotions and push a story deep into your head. I think that’s why I love music as much as I do, because without music, a story seems less dynamic. You can write the greatest set of words ever, and a handful of people will truly appreciate their significance.
Music, in any form, can be appreciated for generations.
Day One of this Challenge is to find your favorite song, and that’s an easy one for me. It’s the song that evokes by far and away the most powerful images in my mind:
O, Night Divine by Adolphe Adam (words by Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPcecW357RE
Each time I hear this song, it reminds me of the mistakes I’ve made in life and how dark things can really get. I don’t see it as a negative song, though. It’s always uplifting to me to hear it, because it serves as a reminder that no matter how shitty a human being you’ve been, as long as you allow yourself to realize it, you can grow and be forgiven.
A lot of hymns seem written to remind you how much of a giant turd you are in comparison to God. O Holy Night is the hymn that is here to remind you that God doesn’t care how crappy you really are, only that he wants you to keep striving to be less crappy. No, no, he’s well aware that you’re never going to not be crappy, that doesn’t bother him, as long as you try.
As a person that constantly dwells on my own regrets and mistakes, having something to remind me that growing as a person means learning from the past and moving on, not torturing yourself over it.
As a person who generally fears that too many structured religions take a negative view of God, I hold O Night Divine as a personal reminder that some people out there remember the importance of religion, spirituality, and belief is the pursuit of something that makes us better and a promise that if we keep trying, we can have a positive impact on the world.
So, yeah, it’s my favorite song. It is by far and away the song that evokes the most in me, and that really is the purpose of music.