Music and Memories

Some people say that your sense of smell is the sense closest connected to your memory.  Some scientists would agree.  To me, one of the strongest memory triggers is the flash of a few notes of a great song.  Music, for me, does more than just heal my sometimes broken soul when it needs soothing the most.  It’s a time machine that transports me back to places that I had long forgotten I ever visited. It’s unexpected reminders of good times and not-so-good times.  Good music is some pretty powerful stuff.

In the spirit of reminiscing about life through my iTunes, may I present a loose musical timeline of my life:

4th Grade = Bought my first CD, “Bleach” by Nirvana. Also first concert, Alanis Morissette. I remember ice-skating parties with lots of Green Day’s “Dookie” blasting.

5th Grade = Weird Al, The Presidents of the United States of America, TLC.

6th Grade = Whichever rap was cool at that moment.  Middle school was rough.

7th Grade = Barenaked Ladies “Stunt” album.  Only the die-hards could sing all the words to “One Week.”

8th Grade = First exposure to Outkast (who I’ve grown to adore), Beck, Fatboy Slim.  Eminem’s “My Name Is” was brand new hotness.  I remember yelling out the bleeped dirty words at the 8th-grade dance.

9th Grade = Punk rock madness. Fenix TX, NOFX, A New Found Glory, etc.  It went along with my “skater” persona. I used to skateboard?? Damn right.

10th Grade = Incubus (saw them live that year), old Nelly Furtado (Not the stuff you hear in the clubs. She used to make some really beautiful music) and first dose of Radiohead. And lots of Bjork too.  My artsy friends hooked it up with the unknown tunes.

11th Grade = One word. Coldplay.

12th Grade = Classic Rock 100%. Getting my Led out all day, every day.

Freshman year of college = My love for non-Top-40 hits takes off.  Listening to The Postal Service will forever bring me back to the days of sitting at my desk in my dorm on the third floor of Rawlings Hall, windows open, listening to the RTS city buses pull in and out of the service drive.  First time I heard Jack Johnson, Gavin DeGraw, Death Cab for Cutie, The Shins. I was all about the Garden State Soundtrack.

Sophomore year of college = Dave Matthews Band.  I guess that fits into the “cliche” category. Saw him live at the O’Dome. Crappy seats, awesome tunes.

Junior year of college = Roommates played a big role that year in what I listened to.  Got my first taste of country that I actually liked in Rascal Flatts. Mary reminded me how awesome Third Eye Blind was during a road trip. Saw Jimmy Buffett and Steve Miller Band live, among others.

Senior year of college = Anything and everything that is awesome.  Fall in Gainesville of senior year was Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” on repeat when I walked to and from the bus stop. Kanye West’s “Graduation” when I worked out. Lots of indie stuff on nights with bottles of wine. Band Marino, The Avett Brothers, Band of Horses, The Format, etc.

I don’t know what my brain would contain in the absense of exposure to all the songs and artists that are now engrained in who I am.  I wonder if that’s what musicians hope to achieve within their fans.  To have their melodies and lyrics weaved permanently into the intricacies of life.  If so, mission accomplished.