Now and then, the past 20 years...

I’m finding that these past 20 years of music are a bit more difficult to write about. The first 20 years were really all about fun and positive memories related to music while these past 20 years have more heartache attached. Since my intention is not to let myself be too vulnerable on this web log, I’m focusing on the positive memories or just songs that I simply like for no specific reason. Wouldn’t want to get too deep and ruin my reputation or something. But as I reflect, it’s really about looking at my CD collection and realizing there are some artists that have been with me for a very long time…

My after college days began in 1985 with my first real job as an after-school program coordinator for a Hispanic Community Center in Lansing, MI. In order to be cool, I had to pretend to like the music the kids were playing on the boom box – cassette tapes of course. While I know there were many songs from that day, the one that I still occasionally hear is “Secret Lover” by Atlantic Starr.

I left that job in 1986 to move to Battle Creek where I accepted a job in a 28-day drug and alcohol treatment center (yes, I worked there; I was not a resident, contrary to popular belief). Most of the patients were listening to U2, Steve Winwood, Peter Gabriel and George Michael. In fact, that reminds me of a synchronicity. Doc B. and I were listening to Dish Network’s Sirius music a few months back. Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” came on. I said to Doc. B, “This is one of my all time favorite songs”. I then proceeded to start a list of the songs that came into my head that would be on that all time favorites list. The first song I wrote down was Heart’s “Dog and Butterfly”. If you’ve been reading this Blog, I don’t need to tell you what song played next on the Dish Network!

Moving to Atlanta was a bit of a change in music for me only because of what is rarely heard on the radio here in the south. No more Bob Segar, no more John Cougar Mellencamp (or did he drop the “Cougar”?), and no more of that good Midwestern stuff.

More recently, Doc B. and I have made it a practice to purchase a CD on the vacation trips we take. If we play the CD’s during the trip, we then have a memorable association each time we hear the tunes. For example on a trip to Cape Cod, we bought a Carole King CD. On a trip out west we bought Tori Amos and The Thorns (with Shawn Mullins).

Some adult family memories must be added in here too. Like my baby sister who, for a time, had her CD alarm clock set to wake her to the tune of “Who’s That Lady” by the Isley Brothers. Or both of my sisters and I driving along in the car and “breaking”into a chorus of Joe Jackson’s “Breakin’ us in Two”… or was it “Steppin’ Out”? Either way it was fun.

And the artists that have been with me for virtually my whole adult life, in no particular order, include: Joni Mitchell, U2, Michael Jackson, Seal, Madonna, Heart, The Indigo Girls, k.d. Lang, REM, Sarah McLachlan, and Celine Dion. Pretty interesting how music is such a part of our lives, eh?