Still Updating ... Man! I've Got Lots of Music!
I am still updating my digital copies of CDs that I have stored around my home. I went through each album stored on my computer, and then started to go through the books and books of CDs that I have here. I am actually looking for one particular song, requested by one client (over and over and over again). I am pulling out CDs that I don't remember seeing in my music library.
(I am going to go off on an iTunes rant now. If you are a fan of iThings, you may want to skip this paragraph as I am sure to offend you in my intense confusion and hatred of all iThings.) One of the things that drives me crazy about iTunes is that it often misnames the tracks on my CDs. Someone somewhere entered the playlist into the database wrong and it stays that way forever! I am not sure how to fix it, but it really puts a crimp in my music-searching skills! I do not remember having this problem with Windows Media, but maybe it was present there as well. I must say, iTunes does recognize more of my obscure recordings than Windows Media ever did, but it is not helpful when the information is just plain old wrong! Whew - I think I'm done with the rant...
(It should be safe for all those who think like Apples from this point on.)
One of the benefits to going through all of my music is that I have organized a playlist simply for me!! It currently has 224 songs on it and would take 13 hours to get through from start to finish. It is extremely eclectic (as I am sure you would expect from a person who loves music and uses it as a tool). There are symphonies from Sibelius, hard rock anthems from AC/DC, relaxation tracks from Andiamo, Secret Garden, and Wyndham Hill. There are tribal tracks, songs from the Muppets, and songs from Monty Python. Some of the songs have strong extramusical associations (You're the Inspiration - my High School crush on Christopher Jones and then the others that I crushed on once he left...). Others have the perfect melody or the best lyrics or a combination that just plain elicits an emotional response and reaction in me. Some are just plain absurd, and I laugh whenever I hear them. Each song has a function for me and, sometimes, for me alone!
I have often tried to share my musical tastes with others, but I have found that what I love is often not loved by those close to me. I understand the reasons why - novelty, lack of extramusical association, different experiences, disinterest in a particular musical style, but I still want to share the feelings that I have with each of these pieces with others. When I do find someone that shares my love for the music of Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog, I feel an instant rapport. This is one of the reasons that we music therapists find that the music from adolescence is often the music that sticks with us throughout our lifespans. There is just an instant recognition and something is communicated without words. You know a bit of me!
For me, that recognition is why I try my best to use music in sessions specifically catered to the preferences and behaviors of my clients. There is just a magical moment when you find the song that means something - good or bad - for a client who has not responded to you before. Once you find that key - tempo, timbre, melody, harmony, form, familiarity, extramusical association - you have an entry into your client's life and into a therapeutic relationship.
This is lots of hard work. There are times when I cannot find that "in." There are times when my client is trying so hard to communicate his or her musical preferences or needs, and I just miss the communication. This is one of the difficulties with being human. There will be times when I get it, and times when I do not. That is okay. It is part of my humanity, and it is shared by each and every other human being on the planet!
Off to find the elusive song requested by my client - hopefully it will be in the last set of CD books... or I'll have to buy it AGAIN. Here I go, diving back into the world of my music. See you soon!
(I am going to go off on an iTunes rant now. If you are a fan of iThings, you may want to skip this paragraph as I am sure to offend you in my intense confusion and hatred of all iThings.) One of the things that drives me crazy about iTunes is that it often misnames the tracks on my CDs. Someone somewhere entered the playlist into the database wrong and it stays that way forever! I am not sure how to fix it, but it really puts a crimp in my music-searching skills! I do not remember having this problem with Windows Media, but maybe it was present there as well. I must say, iTunes does recognize more of my obscure recordings than Windows Media ever did, but it is not helpful when the information is just plain old wrong! Whew - I think I'm done with the rant...
(It should be safe for all those who think like Apples from this point on.)
One of the benefits to going through all of my music is that I have organized a playlist simply for me!! It currently has 224 songs on it and would take 13 hours to get through from start to finish. It is extremely eclectic (as I am sure you would expect from a person who loves music and uses it as a tool). There are symphonies from Sibelius, hard rock anthems from AC/DC, relaxation tracks from Andiamo, Secret Garden, and Wyndham Hill. There are tribal tracks, songs from the Muppets, and songs from Monty Python. Some of the songs have strong extramusical associations (You're the Inspiration - my High School crush on Christopher Jones and then the others that I crushed on once he left...). Others have the perfect melody or the best lyrics or a combination that just plain elicits an emotional response and reaction in me. Some are just plain absurd, and I laugh whenever I hear them. Each song has a function for me and, sometimes, for me alone!
I have often tried to share my musical tastes with others, but I have found that what I love is often not loved by those close to me. I understand the reasons why - novelty, lack of extramusical association, different experiences, disinterest in a particular musical style, but I still want to share the feelings that I have with each of these pieces with others. When I do find someone that shares my love for the music of Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog, I feel an instant rapport. This is one of the reasons that we music therapists find that the music from adolescence is often the music that sticks with us throughout our lifespans. There is just an instant recognition and something is communicated without words. You know a bit of me!
For me, that recognition is why I try my best to use music in sessions specifically catered to the preferences and behaviors of my clients. There is just a magical moment when you find the song that means something - good or bad - for a client who has not responded to you before. Once you find that key - tempo, timbre, melody, harmony, form, familiarity, extramusical association - you have an entry into your client's life and into a therapeutic relationship.
This is lots of hard work. There are times when I cannot find that "in." There are times when my client is trying so hard to communicate his or her musical preferences or needs, and I just miss the communication. This is one of the difficulties with being human. There will be times when I get it, and times when I do not. That is okay. It is part of my humanity, and it is shared by each and every other human being on the planet!
Off to find the elusive song requested by my client - hopefully it will be in the last set of CD books... or I'll have to buy it AGAIN. Here I go, diving back into the world of my music. See you soon!
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