Thankful for music

Today, July 5, I am thankful for music.

I was reminded of this fact recently while watching a portion of this year's Rock N Roll Hall of Fame induction show. The artists inducted this year, as in every year, were diverse in their styles and public personalities. I'm not necessarily a fan of each of them. But, listening to their acceptance speeches was a great reminder to me that although we all listen to music for multiple reasons, we also listen to it for the same reason...the fact that it touches us deeply and moves us in ways that quite possibly nothing else does or can.

Music for me is a spiritual matter. It's not only that, as I think it's great to enjoy it simply for the fun it brings to our lives. But, beyond the fun it can create, music also resonates with me on a deeper level, engaging my mind and heart about the human experience, about what it means to survive and transcend the pain life sometimes throws at us, what it means to live with hope, deal with loss, to love, to no longer love, to become something more, to become ourselves.

At this point in my life, there are plenty of artists who have provided and continue to provide the soundtrack of my journey. Their genres are somewhat diverse (I'll admit I'm not as wide-ranging in my musical tastes as some), but they all share the commonality of creating for me thinking, feeling and experiences that cause the everydayness of life to be just a bit less mundane. Rock, blues and jazz are the three primary styles that have impacted and continue to impact me the most, but a fair amount of pop, classical and new age music also shows up in my playlist. Although I'm not much of a fan of country music, there are still certain artists from that genre who have contributed to my life's soundtrack.

There are so many artists I could name whose music matters to me. Although not nearly the complete list, some of those who have impacted me and who still do include, Eric Clapton, U2, The Beatles, Marc Cohn, Bruce Cockburn, Diana Krall, Bruce Springsteen, Tony Bennett, Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, Sting, Jonatha Brooke, The Band, Willie Nelson,  Train, David Wilcox, The Eagles, Bob Dylan, Colin Hay, Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, David Gray, The Wallflowers, Counting Crows & Sara Bareilles.

The list could go on, but the music of these artists has and does matter to me. Many of them have recorded some of the "go-to" songs of my life, songs that bring me comfort, make me think, help me feel. Like I've already said, music is spiritual for me. It is an important component of my overall humanity. Frankly, those who do not value and experience music on a daily basis are people I do not understand, nor do I want to attempt to. It makes no sense to me that someone would withhold from themselves such a wonderful gift.

As I've written this, I have, of course, been listening to music. I believe I am a better human being each day because of the steady stream of music that comes my way. I believe that can be true for each of us. I hope that my post has reminded you of the music that matters most in your life and that you will experience fresh thankfulness for it and the artists who create it. Music is a magical, unexplainable, beautiful gift to humanity. Whether we write it, sing and perform it, or simply enjoy it, we can all be participants in its transformative power. I hope you'll plug into that power today, whatever the genre of music you prefer, I hope you are more deeply moved by it and thankful once again for the songs of your life.