Music That Gives All the Feels

It's crazy how powerful music can be. A song can evoke emotion you didn't know you had. Emotions that heighten the senses and trigger memories - both good and bad. For me, music has always had a huge role in my life and a huge role in the creation of my memories.

Perhaps because music has always been an integral part of my life. In fact, it was my life for decades. I grew up in a very musical home - piano, guitar, violin, flute, vocal... we had a little bit of everything. Growing up, it was not uncommon to have music coming from some corner of the house. There was always a church performance, a recital, jury, competition... something. Which may explain why my memories are solely focused around music and specific songs.

I've gone through a lot of music phases in my life, but my musical preference can't be defined. I listen (and connect) to everything from classical to country. But there are certain songs that I simply do not listen to anymore, that, at one point or another, meant the world to me. Maybe it's because they remind me of a breakup, or something too painful to relive. And a major life change usually means, for me, a change in music.

Life changes = change in music

When I hear certain songs, I get taken back to clear moments in my life. A road trip, a break up, a defining moment in time... and when that song comes on the radio, for a moment, I'm back sitting my dorm room at boarding school. Or I'm riding shotgun in my high school boyfriend's car. Or I'm in the backseat of the car with my sister as we are driving through the mountains of West Virginia. But some songs provoke such strong emotions that even now, I'm not prepared to deal with, so I don't listen to them. At one point it may have been a favorite. But a single moment changed the song for me.

It's funny how there are certain songs I've made peace with, while there are others that still cut too deep (and I'll forever hit "skip"). It's not that I don't want to embrace those difficult feelings, but I don't need [extra] help bringing up those memories. They've shaped me, shattered me, rebuilt me.

While my taste in music is everywhere, I've always been really drawn to ballads and powerful songs - something that pulls you in and wants you to feel something. Lately, I've been in a really good place, both mentally and emotionally, and I felt the need to share this. So hopefully you enjoy, hear something pretty, and feel something.