My Musical Memory Scrapbook

It's so strange to think about the effect music can have on you. You know when you hear a song and all of a sudden you REMEMBER. You remember who introduced you to that song or where you first heard it. It brings you back to who you were then - who your friends were, what you liked and disliked, what was going on in your life at the time. It's like a window into your past.

I'm at work again, and I'm listening to my Pandora (side note: I love Pandora. So. Much. I'm also a fan of my little Pandora stations, which - if you feel so inclined - you can listen to at http://www.pandora.com/people/baggss). Anyway, I'm listening to the "QuickMix" of all my stations, and the song "Dare You to Move" by Switchfoot comes on, and it takes me straight back to my sophomore year of high school. I remember Switchfoot being my favorite band. I think my neighbor introduced me to them, so this reminds me of him as well. I remember relating to the lyrics because they were very timely for me. In fact, any time I hear Switchfoot, my memories of my life sophomore year become crystal clear, and I feel like I'm 15 again.

Then I hear "Sitting, Wishing, Waiting" by Jack Johnson, and I am taken back to the summer before my junior year when I went wakeboarding with my friend June. We wanted to listen to Jack Johnson on repeat (it was great boating music), but her mom insisted that it was stoner music (let me insert here that I definitely disagree), so we listened to Chris Tomlin instead. Nevertheless, that was the first time I listened to Jack Johnson, and I've been hooked ever since.

At the time of the boating expedition, I hated Chris Tomlin (luckily, my opinions have shifted so that he now frequently appears on my pandora) because when I was younger (maybe age 12?) I went with my parents and my cousin to a Rebecca St. James concert at George Fox University. Chris Tomlin was the opener. I didn't know who he was, but I thought his music was ok, until he began playing "The Famous One" and insisted on audience participation. He played that song over and over and over again, telling us we had to sing, he couldn't hear us, we were going to do it again. I still can't listen to that song without grimacing.

Back to some happy memories as my pandora plays on and on: I hear Jack's Mannequin which makes me think of my dear friend Elizabeth. I remember the countless times during my junior and senior years of high school when we blasted "Dark Blue" in the car. I remember going to the Jack's Mannequin concert senior year...I even bought a t-shirt.

Next it's Iron&Wine - "Such Great Heights." Beautiful song. So great that it is forever commemorated as my favorite song in my high school yearbook.

Then it is Norah Jones with "Come Away With Me" and I remember when I did go away...and housesit for the past two summers. I remember sitting in the kitchen, making tea, listening to Norah Jones. Every time I hear her voice, I think of summer.

Colbie Caillat's melodic voice sings "Battle" next, and I can almost smell the inside of Teylar's car. Last year, every time I drove somewhere with her (or drove her car myself) we listened to Colbie.

Then come The Decemberists with "The Crane Wife" and I smile because I remember my spontatenous decision to go to their concert last year with my friend Kyle. Fantastic show. One of the band members even went out into the audience and did a backflip or something.

Then it's John Mayer with his acoustic live cover of "Free Fallin" which I love. And that brings me practically to the present because it reminds me of my trip to Boston just last week where I visited Berklee College of Music, and it was this very institution that John Mayer attended not too many years ago.

And now it's someone new...Paul Wright? I don't know him, but who knows...maybe in a couple years I will be writing about this day when I first heard this song. Gotta love memories.