From time to time I return to music to comfort - and at times even to heal my heart, and my soul. This morning is one of those times. My morning began in much the same way that it does most mornings: coffee (this morning I chose French Press), a small nibble of something, checking my email and my social media.
And on the final note: checking my social media, I have become slightly addicted to Threads. I was not an early adopter of the platform, in fact I shied away from it for the longest time; but then I found a community. I write about this because the community I have found is a positive one. As I read through the various posts, and add my comments, there is a sense of uplifting - in the ‘sharing’ of thoughts, insights, and ideas.
After I finished with Threads, this morning, I was pondering what to do with my day. The past several days - actually the past few weeks, have been at breakneck speeds! As much as I thrive on that, I also needed time to regroup, and to process all that has unfolded over this period of breakneck time. I chose today to be that time. But what to do next, I asked myself? Then the rabbit hole presented itself to me - and thankfully it was a shallow one - with just enough depth to fully open me up emotionally.
I remembered that last night, as I was sitting in this very chair - my leather recliner, I needed sound to drown out a noise that what outside. I put on my headphones and searched for something in my extensive playlist of music. I decided on one of a few songs that I had by the band, Kansas. As I listened to it I was reminded of the entire album that this song was part of - and that, for some unknown reason, I had never downloaded the entire album. So I did.
This morning’s rabbit whole began with the reminder that I now had the entire album. But instead of playing that album, I began with another recording of theirs: Down The Road. But this version is the recording of them playing the song as a “sound check” for one of their live concerts.
This song, especially when done live, is a firestorm! Listening to it, however, had even more emotional value for me; it is a piece that I actually heard being played ‘as a sound check’ on several different occasions. Years ago Kansas was one of the bands that I toured with - not as part of the band, but as a photographer. Their music was so powerful, and in its own way help to reinforce my own visions of humanity. So when I listen to their albums I am reminded of my love for humanity, and my belief in the work that I do. But to hear a song played live brings back so many more emotions - many of them reminding me of my unstoppable energy, and passion that many of us tend to let wane as time moves forward.
To hear the song that was the sound check brought back even more memories - and some of my most cherished: being in an empty arena listening to the music.. The feeling was completely different from when the arenas were empty. Everything was real - not being played for the thousands who would gather. It was, in some ways - at least for me, entering into a sacred space before the ceremonies began - just to feel the presence of it in its quiet state.
The rabbit hole did not end there, however. I began listening to the other (non-live) recordings - listening to the lyrics that had affected my development as a youth. The power of these lyrics have not diminished over time.. They are just as pertinent - if not more so now, as they were then. It is in listening to these words flow, that I am reminded of why I am so compelled to do the work that I do. But also a reminder of who I am - deep, deep within.