Music Moves Me

Warning! This is a long post with a lot of words, but you should read it anyway.



Those of you who know me, know that I love music. Music has always been an important part of my life. Music effects people in many different ways. Some people can play instruments. Some people can sing. Some people can write music. Some people can dance to music. Some people can remember music. And some people just like to listen to music.

Me, I love to listen, I can remember lyrics, and I have an internal beat. Really, I always have a beat in my head. When I walk, I walk to a beat in my head. My wife would attest to this. She has been known to politely ask me to stop clicking my teeth or tapping something.

I have been blessed with the ability to like many different genres of music. One good thing that comes from my assortment of music, is that I go thru music streaks, where I really like listening to a certain type of music. These streaks usually last a few weeks.

Here are my favorite music genres:

1. Country - I think that Country music will always be my favorite. I guess Country music can be broken down even more. There is classic country, 80's and early 90's country, twangy country, and pop country. I absolutely hate the new pop country movement (especially Rascal Flats). (Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, Merl, George Strait, The Dirt Band, Joe Diffie, Mark Chesnut)

2. Classic Rock - I hate that I like classic rock, because of the alcohol, drugs and sex that are so closely associated with it. I just found out the meaning of the lyrics of a particular song, and now I can't listen to it anymore. But, take away the lyrics, and the music is great. (Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Tom Petty, Steve Miller Band, Fleetwood Mac, Rush, Hendrix, The Doors, Heart, Journey)

3. Jazz - All of the popular music today has it's roots in Jazz. It just makes me feel good. There are so many types of Jazz; Bebop, Swing, Blues, Classic Jazz, Smooth Jazz. They all have their good qualities. (Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Louie Armstrong, Glenn Miller, Ella Fitzgerald)

4. Motown - There is a lot of great Motown music. Motown music usually has the best beats. (Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Jackson 5 and early Michael Jackson, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder)

5. Classical - I mostly like the more up-beat classical music. I have a really hard time keeping my hands still when I listen to classical music, because they want to lead the music. I don't know why, but they do. (Bach, Beethoven, Bizet, Pacabel, Mozart, Church Music)

6. Blue Grass - There is nothing like a banjo and fiddle. Blue grass is just fun music. (I don't know any specific Blue Grass artists, but there are a lot of country artists that do an occasional Blue Grass type song)

7. Singer Songwriter - Most of these songs are packed with meaning. I feel like the artists really care about the influence their music has on listeners. (Jack Johnson, James Taylor, Donovan Frankenreiter)

8. Rock/Alternative - This genre is the hardest to classify, so I'll just put those groups that don't really fit anywhere else. (Collective Soul, U2, Neal Diamond, 311, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Mathews Band)

9. Miscellaneous - There are also those newer songs that come out that are pretty catchy. Some new artists are just on their own team and sound good. There are also those one hit wonders.(Gnarls Barkley, Kelly Clarkson, Carie Underwood, Outkast)


So, there you have it. Don't feel bad if you didn't find this post very interesting. I'm sure it is much more interesting to me.