I cannot think about the first song that ever touched me, but I can think of many that hit to the core. There are artists that write songs that almost always hit a cord. I would have to say, that the way my life have been lately, 2 songs that really speak to me on a emotional level would be Jimmy Buffet’s Pacing the Cage from Beach House on the Moon. My husband is a huge Buffet fan, and I only recently gravitated toward him. Pacing the cage talks about how sometimes we are trapped in situations trying to make the best of it, but really just pacing the cage.
The other one is Sarah McLachlan’s World on Fire. I am always trying to do more, and it usually is more than I can handle, but I keep on trying. It also speaks to me on a quasi spiritual level due to the fact that the song was linked to the mini series Into the West. I am part Native American, not a huge part, but sometimes you cannot help but be drawn to a part of your heritage, when I think of that song, I think about all the things people in this world go through, and that reminds me that as a teacher I want to try to ease or even just listen to my students to remind them that someone cares.
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated you sharing about the emotional level of music. I think that as time progresses in our program the heat has been really turned up on us and we have so much to do that it is a bit overwhelming. I never heard Jimmy Buffet's song about pacing the cage, but the analogy works for me. I hate feeling trapped in a situation and not being able to break free. I agree with you totally that the demands right now seem practically impossible and I'd have to honestly agree that the caged animal pacing the cage trying to make the best of it is me. However, I tend to always be able to look beyond my temporary cages and music has been the liberator for me ever since I was very young.
As a child music transported me to places I'd never been and not just on a daydreaming level, but on an emotional level. I guess for me music is my backdrop to every experience. I carry songs within to encourage myself in whatever given circumstance. I find myself magnetically drawn to music genres depending on what mood I'm in or what mood I'd rather be in. Heritage songs do draw! I am drawn to Celtic music, Spanish sounds, and certain rhythms speak to me more than others. Other songs draw me in because they were from a time period in my life... Like my life in popular tracks. Right now the song that attracts me is from Jason Gray entitled "More Like Falling in Love." I finished Relay for Life this morning and it was such an awesome experience. During the night the DJ played songs that brought up all kinds of great memories and a few sad ones. I found it so rewarding to walk with my children and to hear greats like "My Girl," "Phantom of the Opera," "500 miles" and "Summer of 69" and recognize all the songs from The Beach Boys, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Boys to Men, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks, 50's classics like Leader Of The Pack, and contemporary 2010 songs that my students listen to like "Down," "Jerk it Out," and songs by Avril Lavigne, Lady Gaga, and Justin Timberlake. The night felt like memory lane as the songs brought up memories of those lost to cancer and memories of events tied to the songs in time.
Music is such an emotion and personal, subjective experience I often get nervous sometimes using music in the classroom. There are songs that have had such a huge impact on my life, but I sometimes feel self conscious even protective of that music. What if I put it on and my students hate it, sad to say, but I would probably take it a bit personally! : ) However, i do think there is some music that is so universally beautiful and conjures to the human mind such grand feelings and emotions that I think that they would be applicable for use in almost any class.
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