The power of a tune...

Isn't it funny how music triggers something in us, how it makes you come alive and feel nostalgic of times in the past at the same time. I have been off today, and quite enjoyed myself. It is the first day that I have had off without Alex hanging out with me that I can say I actually have enjoyed myself! I am sure there are several factors that have helped in this, speaking to my mother on skype, sending multiple facebook messages back and forth to one of my best friends and a lot of very good food, and drinks, all accompanied by music. Either the sound track that runs in my head, what might be happening to play on the television or on the ipod that was randomly providing the playlist for the bank's common area. Now I have transitioned to the wonders of youtube and the instant music and video it provides. There are songs that remind me of the warmth of summer (Kings of Leon), songs that make me think of my dad, or cleaning the house during college (Rod Stewart), and songs that remind me of Carrie and Alex both (Amos Lee) Carrie because she was such an amazing friend and dealt with me while I kept it on a consistent repeat for months, inclusive of a drive to Kansas City and back. Alex, because when we were merely friends I told him of Amos as being one of my favorite artist's and that he should check him out. Then there are the "artists" (I put this in quotes because I know Alex and probably many other people would debate with me on their real talent) like Jesse McCartney and T-pain, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland or Young money, Mace, And the list goes on of one hit wonders/ random rap artist's that make me think of multiple memories of laughing at the ridiculousness of the lyrics with Miss Molly.
They say smell is the most nostalgic sense, which I agree it is a strong one, but I am not so sure hearing is far behind. I remember the songs I listened to through slews of emotions throughout life. There was Meatloaf and something about glass house (may be the name of the album) and dancing with my father on the top of our old coffee table in the den of the old lake house. Then there was some random indian pipe and drum combination and Little Texas singing "God bless Texas" with Tara and I's gymnastic presentations for my parent's in the living room. There was the regular jock jams mix played while watching athletic warm ups and the songs that made up high school like Blue, Bye, bye, bye... the hits by Nelly, Avril, P.O.D, and so, so many others. I am sure my close group of friends through the high school years, remember Sammie and I like the way you look at me, and it's inability to leave our heads. There was Brandon's (B.) amazing ability to dance to Brittany Spears, Ah, those were some interesting times. There area the all incompassing songs that can't help but make me smile, Train: Meet Virginia and Drops of Jupiter, our senior class group plus many others, arm's linked around one another singing our hearts out. There's Green Day's Time of your life that consistently reminded me to live each day, each moment to it's fullest, to take it all in and full embrace everything that really was happening around me, everything I was, and am. There is Patty Loveless (sad but true) How Can I Help You to Say Goodbye, that I played on repeat, close to the hour long drive back to Springfield when the Bates' family made their move to Las Vegas. Through college there were nearly too many to remember, either that, or I don't even know a large amount of the artist by name, it was just mix tape by Brandon (C.) 1 or 52, or somewhere in the middle. There was  Something Corporate, too many to name, but Konstantine and  Punk Rock Princess, Good Charlotte, and the odd combination of John Mayer and Nelly singing a remix of Ride With Me that were on my daily play list through Europe. On the same trip, after waiting over a week to call home, once reaching them, my parent's had made their own wonderful rendition of Reba McEntire's He gets that from me, inserting personal traits to sing over the phone lines to me. They also sang Sugarland's Baby Girl to me many times, and at no time have the lyrics been more true than the present.  Then there was All American Rejects, Dirty Little Secret's that takes me to a memorable road trip to southern California and Las Vegas. Snow Patrols' Chasing Cars and Coldplay's the Scientist in grad school. I hear a song and if it is on my running mix I automatically know the sequence it should fall within and have that urge to get my body moving, the motivation it provides for me for some reason or another to continue to put one foot in front of the other, to complete the pre-determined distance and prove something to myself, and myself alone.
There are songs that bring you back to a feeling by the first few cords, you hear them, and bam, you're right back in 2003, walking downtown with friends, or crying in your room alone. Music has some all knowing power that can break through stereo types, through barriers, through good moods and bad. Songs have the power to bring you (well, at least me) to tears in an instant given my barriers are broken down. It is such a magical power that the lyric's hold within themselves, they help me feel connected to friends now removed from me by thousands and thousands of miles, they help me smile and remember that if I am still aware of these songs, of these memories then they must be too. As writing this so many more pop to mind, too many to right, so many good memories, some pissed off memories, some so funny I began to cry from laughing, and some that brought true tears of sorrow to my eyes. Let me know what songs you think of when you think of that have the ability to bring out true emotion in you, and which one's are absolutely ridiculous but you just can't help but laugh and think of a fun memory linked with it!