Episode 02: Music

Since we’re in the beginning stages here, I want to talk about music for a second - set the stage for this whole Soundtrack thing.

I’m not sure when or how or why my love of music transpired, but it is big, and it is real. I’m not a musician. I’m not musically gifted. For me, it’s that music is embedded into the fabric of each and every moment and memory of life (well most of them, anyway).

Music gives us the ability - like nothing else I’ve experienced - to relive. To revisit. To remember. A song captures the essence of a moment - holds it throughout time and space - and allows you to come back to it. Songs are memories, feelings, emotions. Whether it be the unadulterated joy of driving across northern California windows rolled down, with friends, singing as loud as possible. Or, the pain and sadness of loss. Music remembers. Music reminds us. And with the good and the bad, reminders are important. Reminders of the best parts of life and reminders of our resilience, our capacity to endure, to grow, to evolve.

Music for me is also representative of phases of life. The middle school me that fell in love with Rap and R&B (that was a vibe - still is). The me in college that just wanted to dance. The young adult me that developed a profound appreciation for coffee and acoustic in the mornings. The grad school me that could not have gotten through a workday and long nights of studying without Jazz for Study or Brain Food beats on Spotify. Music is a life source.

The other thing I love about music is that it connects people. The fleeting moment when you catch eyes with a stranger who’s enjoying a song as much as you are. The intimate moments when you share a song with a friend or loved on. The moments when a song comes on and everyone loses themselves in that moment. Not to mention the artists that create it - from a creative, intimate, vulnerable place - and then share it with the world. Music transcends generations, cultures, countries, space, and time - connecting us no matter where we are and reminding us that we are all human and that we are not alone.

I’ve learned over the years that I derive energy from picking the right soundtrack for any given moment - whatever it may be. If I’m feeling anxious or unable to focus, the right song helps me settle in. If I’m feeling grateful for someone, the right song helps me understand why. If I’m feeling pain, the right song brings comfort. If I’m hosting a party, the right soundtrack changes the game. The right song is a gift.

As I think about what I’m trying to do here, I realize that music is essential to the process. Necessary. It helps us feel our feelings. It brings us to tears. It moves us to dance. It connects us. It helps us remember. It helps us notice. It helps us feel alive. It helps us feel seen.

So in the spirit of “doing”, and especially that which brings joy - I will post a song to Soundtrack for each Episode I publish. Could be a song with meaning/significance to that week’s post, it could be a song that got me through the week, or it could just be a song that I love. Regardless, I hope you enjoy.