I'll give it my best shot, but music is such a big part of my life that I'm not sure I can really do it justice. But like I said, I'll try.
Growing up, Mom always had the radio on. Whether it was the Oldies station, or an Elvis record. Fleetwood Mac or Reba McEntire. Ray Charles or The Beach Boys. It didn't matter. If we were up, there was music going. We danced around the house, singing along with the tunes as we cleaned; we were soothed to sleep as lullabies played in the background. Sing-Along tapes were played on the way to swim lessons, and 8-tracks were pushed into the tape deck when we went on road-trips. From the very beginning, music has been part of my life.
When I was 6 years old, I started asking my parents for piano lessons. I had only seen a few people play piano, so I don't know what made me want to play so badly, but there was something about the piano that I was drawn to. After asking for a year, I was finally allowed to start taking lessons. We bought an old piano from a friend of the family, and signed up for lessons from a lady we knew from church. My piano teacher, Ramona, was truly one of a kind. She was an older woman who believed in always looking your best: she bleached her hair platinum blonde, wore fake eyelashes, always had her acrylic nails painted a bright color. She was always dressed to impress. I actually remember one lesson where she told me to always have my nails painted a pretty color. "Never let your nails go naked," she said, "Always have them done up pretty so that people have something to watch when you are playing for them." Ramona was a self-sufficient woman who took care of things the way that she saw fit, and she did it with flair. She always encouraged me to be an individual and to do things in my own unique way. Whether it was to play my gospel songs with a jazzy flair, to drink Diet Rite out of the two-liter bottle, or to wear my 5-inch heels to the Christmas concert, she was always encouraging me to show my fun side instead of being so reserved all the time. I took piano lessons from Ramona for 8 years until she passed away. I had a few teachers after her, but none were as good as Ramona; they didn't have the enthusiasm she did, they didn't like that I put my twist on some of the classical pieces, and I was too advanced for them to be able to actually teach me anything. I started learning from the best, and there was no one that I could go to anyone else and be satisfied with the results. Overall, I took piano lessons for 10 years, but Ramona was one-of-a-kind. Unique. The Best. I still play piano, and think that Ramona would be proud of me. Thanks to her amazing teaching, I'm able to sight-read pieces and have them pretty close to perfect (with a little bit of my flair thrown in for good measure!)
In elementary school, I was in the choir groups available, and I even played the piano as the featured accompanist a few times. In fifth grade I joined beginning band. Of course, being the independent chick I am, I couldn't pick a traditionally female instrument like the flute or the clarinet. Nope. I chose to play the trombone. (Save the sex jokes, I promise I've heard them all.) That's right, I chose a "male instrument." I was the only female in the low brass section (which consists of 3 different instruments) for at least 4 years. But don't feel bad for me. I was the only girl, but I was still the best player. Lyrics from the James Brown song "It's a Man's World" feel appropriate here: This is a man's world/ but it wouldn't be nothing/ without a woman or a girl! I was in chorus and band throughout middle school. I sat in the back row with the guys in my section, and I eventually became one of the guys. I was more comfortable just hanging out with the guys than I was sitting with the girls during choir practice.
I continued my musical career into high school. I was in concert band, jazz band, marching band, honors bands, I was taking piano and trombone lessons as well as giving lessons to other students; I was also in concert choir, East Side Singers, and giving voice lessons on the side. All of this was in addition to a full class load and maintaining my 4.0 GPA. I spent my afternoons and weekends in the band room at school because of one practice or another. I spent so much of my time in the band room that I kept a change of clothes, toothbrush, mascara and a blanket there because I knew that I would need them sooner or later. I saw my band director more than I saw my parents, if that tells you anything. My participation in these organizations strengthened my work-ethic, organization skills, prioritizing abilities, determination and independence in one way or another. Don't get me wrong, I still had tough times with these groups: I lost sleep, I lost friends and I worried a lot, but what I gained made everything worth it.
I had originally planned on going to college to get a degree in music. Either Music Education, Music Performance or something along those lines. I had planned on music being my career. Senior year of high school, however, I had to have a few lung surgeries. After going through that sort of pain, I decided that I didn't want to risk my health and opted out of the music degree.I still attended the university with the great music program, and I still played and sang, but not as part of any class. In fact, when I needed to escape from my regular classes, I would sneak down to the music building, slip into one of the piano practice rooms, and just play for hours. I even played the trombone for Homecoming festivities a few years. And my senior year of college I joined a female a capella group, The Treble-Makers.(Even when I wasn't in Treble-Makers, my neighbors could hear me belting out songs from my room at all hours of the day. Sorry Clarissa, Katie, Bryce, Amber, and Chrissy!) So even though I didn't pursue a music degree, I still had music in my life, and I still performed. Giving a performance was always my favorite part!
I've mentioned that music is a major part of my life, but I haven't given specific details on the type of music that shapes my life. There is a simple reason for this: I don't like just one type of music. I listen to everything from Gospel to Rap. No joke. The Jewell Family, Simon & Garfunkel, Dr. Dre, Johnny Cash, Etta James, P!nk, Five Finger Death Punch, Il Divo, Linkin Park, Jeannie C. Riley, Luciano Pavarotti, Mumford and Sons, Paul Anka, Trapt, Pat Benetar, Sam Cooke, Eminem,The Temptations, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, The Turtles, Rachmaninoff, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne, and Conway Twitty are just a few of the artists that I listen to. Now, this isn't a complete list by any means, but it does a decent job of showcasing my eclectic taste in music.
Whenever I try to explain my musical taste to someone, I give a short list of people I think they might recognize. Lately, I've dropped names like Adele, P!nk, Miranda Lambert, Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin, Reba McEntire, Christina Aguilera, and Etta James. Only recently have I noticed that this is a list of "I Won't Put Up with Your Crap" female artists. Once again, I'm drawn to assertive women. Those of you who know me (and even those of you who don't really know me, but read most of my posts) know that I am a strong woman. I have a mind of my own, I'm not easily swayed, and I stand up for myself and what I believe in. All of these artists do the same thing; granted, I don't agree with everything that all of these women endorse, but I totally respect that they are standing up for themselves. Get it girl!
We all know that your mood influences the music you listen to, but music can also influence your mood (or at least it does for me). If I'm in a good mood, I want upbeat and peppy music. If I'm feeling blue, I listen to sad songs. Normally, this suits me just fine. But every now and again I'll be in a funk; I'll be upset about something but want to feel better and just can't. So instead of listening to sad music, I blast The Beach Boys or The Beatles (or something akin) to lift my spirits. Even though I'm having a tough time, their songs and their music puts me in a better frame of mind. Along the same lines, I can be in a decent mood and one of my "angry songs" will play, and then I'm in the mood to fight. Music definitely has an impact on my mood.
On a related note: I've already established that I have unique taste in music. I know that not everyone will like all of what I listen to (heck, most people don't like the majority of what I listen to), but that doesn't mean that you are able to tell me how to classify my music. Recently, I told a friend (*ahem Josh ahem*) that I had listened to my "Happy Music" playlist while driving. I then proceeded to give a few examples of what was on that list: Hermans Hermits, Mumford and Sons, Ashton Shepherd, Theory of a Deadman, Adele....
He stops me when I say the name Adele. He makes sure that we are talking about the same person.
Him: "The same woman who sings "Someone Like You" and "Chasing Pavements"? That Adele?"
Me: Yeah, that Adele...
Him: She doesn't have Happy Music. That's a "Heartbroken" album, not a happy one. Even the ones with a good beat talk about how "he's cheating on me, but I still love him" and whatnot. Geez Katelyn!
I can agree that Adele's latest album is not regarded as traditionally happy. That's true. A lot of her songs talk about heartache and lost love. That does not change the fact that some of her songs are on my Happy Music playlist and, indeed, make me happy. When I'm already in a good mood, "Rolling in the Deep," and "Rumor Has It" only inflate my mood. I don't tell you what to listen to or how to classify your music, so don't try to tell me about my music choices. Dean Winchester once charmingly said, "Driver picks the music. Shotgun shuts his cake-hole!" I'm usually driving in my car alone. I listen to what I want, and you can't change that. If you are riding with me then you can request to listen to (or to skip) a certain song, and if I like you I"ll consider it, but for the most part I'm going to listen to what I want. No hard feelings.
I feel like I've rambled and gone on a lot of tangents with this post. But I've tried showing where I got my musical start, what I like, how it has impacted my life and even helped shape my personality. I hope some of you can relate to my music tastes, but if not that's okay too. Mostly I hope that I've answered the questions of those people who requested I make this post. If I haven't, leave a comment and let me know. I'll try to answer the best I can. Even if you don't have a question, feel free to comment. And just because it's cute, here is a picture of me when I first started playing the piano!
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