Over the past week or so I’ve been starting to feel a little more homesick and missing my family and friends. One thing that reminds me of home and makes me miss them a little less is listening to songs that we would always listen to together or listening to songs that remind me of them. It’s comforting to be able to close my eyes, listen to a song and know that I’m thinking of them. One of the songs that I’ve been listening to the past week and that reminds me of my friends back home is Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae. This is a song that my best friends and I would always listen to, especially on the road. My first memory of this song will always be when I first met one of my best friends and she showed me this song, shocked that I had never heard it before. Now, because of her it’s become one of my favorite songs. Whenever we would take trips to the city or be driving around anywhere we would blast this song with windows down. One of the reasons I love this song is the message behind it. It’s all about letting go and being free to make mistakes and live your life because that’s the only way you can really have fun. You can’t let anything hold you back and you have to be willing to take some risks to find your happiness. There are going to be bumps along on the way but that should never be a reason to stop searching for your purpose. This song resonated with me specifically this past summer because my friends and I were about to embark on our next adventure without each other, so having a song like this reminded us that everything happens for a reason and it’s good to spread our wings.
One of the reasons I love music is because it’s ability to remind me of special events, people and places in my life. During this transition to college it’s been hard and overwhelming to be constantly surrounded by new people and situations, so being able to use music as an escape has been really important to me. I love to be able to associate specific songs with people and times in my life, and a lot of times music has helped me make sense of what I’m feeling about a situation. It’s amazing to me the power that artists have to shape how we view situations and the world around us, and it’s pretty incredible that so many of them can do it so well.
This week I encourage you to dig deeper into the music you listen to and see what connections you can make to your own life. Maybe there’s a song that reminds you of a certain place you went to, or a memory with friends. Whatever it is I hope it brings you back to an important and meaningful time in your life, and that it brings a smile to your face!