Music Appreciation

In my last blog post, I mentioned that one of the traits I want to regain is an appreciation for music, but not just any kind of music. Sure, I like music that has some emotion behind it and songs whose lyrics really mean something, and many hymns are good for that, but that's not really the kind of music that I need. I need music with energy and pep. I need music that I can dance or jog to. I need music that empowers me and makes me want to get moving.

Now, the lyrics of these songs may or may not mean much, but that's not really the point. For example, my so-far favorite of these peppy, energetic songs is Real Good Feeling by Oh The Larceny. The lyrics actually start out pretty decently:

I woke up feeling like this gon' be my day
I've got that poppin' fire every step I take
Living that wild life, not stopping now, no way
Just seeing green lights, won't ever touch the brakes

Got a real good feeling, got a real good feeling
Like there is lighting deep in my bones
Got a real good feeling, I won't hit no ceiling
I'm going higher than I've ever known
Got a real good feeling

It's optimistic. It's energetic. It's a little bit repetitive (and you don't know the half of it, since I cut a lot of the repetition out), but it's good. The second verse, however, makes it clear that the singer is in some kind of club, where I'm not sure I'd be entirely comfortable:

This place is jumping off, hot as it can get
No, we won't ever stop dancing on the edge
We like it dangerous, we like to see you sweat
Turn up a another notch, you ain't seen nothing yet

Still, the music itself is upbeat, and it's great for a pick-me-up, when I need it. I thought about making it my morning alarm, but the music is a bit too startling to wake up to. I'll have to settle for listening to it a little bit later in the morning.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Sure, it's great that you've found music that uplifts you, but if the lyrics to the opposite, I'm not sure I can fully get behind that." And I agree. That nightclub music? Not really my thing. That's why I'm toying with the idea of "spicing up" regular hymns and primary songs. The "spicing up" process mostly involves increasing the tempo and making the notes more staccato. In layman's terms, I put a little more bounce in it.

Granted, this doesn't work for all hymns or for all verses of all hymns. The third verse of How Great Thou Art and the whole song titled Gethsemane should not be "spiced up" this way. Some hymns are too sacred to turn into dance music. Still, there are many other hymns and other songs that can be modified in this way, and they blend the benefits of good lyrics and upbeat music.

I plan to play around with this more, especially as I travel. I'll tweak lyrics of dance music to give them more or better meaning, and I'll tweak the music of more pleasant songs to give them more energy. Between those two methods, I should soon establish a collection of songs that lift my spirit in more ways than one. Music can be a powerful tool in my life, and I look forward to taking more advantage of it.