What kind of music really hits you in the heart? The phrasing of that question is strange, I know, but I really want to know. If you could tell me with the reply function, I’d be glad to hear from you.
For me, there are several answers. But the most accurate one would have to be bluegrass. It’s unfortunate, because when most people think of bluegrass they tend to immediately think of incredibly fast novelty banjo songs. This is not bluegrass. A better description of the music I’m talking about would probably be “Old Timey” music. When I hear a fiddle playing certain notes, or a banjo, or an acoustic guitar, or all three, something really incredible happens in my heart. It feels like I’m home.
My definition of home has always been a strange one. Growing up in an unstable environment, constantly moving, has made my definition of home a little weird. For me, home has never been a tangible thing. It has certainly never been an established thing. For me, home is not where I live or where I have lived. Home is a feeling. And when I hear certain bluegrass music, I feel home. I feel more home than I’ve ever felt in my entire life.
Don’t get me wrong, not only will I listen to anything, but I enjoy a TON of music. My music taste is so large that I often can’t think of anything to say when people ask me what kind of music I listen to. However, there’s something about Old Time music that affects me deeper than anything else can. Listening to that music not only comforts me, but it is always familiar, it is always stable, and it’s so strong it’s like a drug.
I’ve always been a relatively simple person, in most aspects. It really doesn’t take a lot to please me. Give me a guitar, people I care about, and I’m okay. I don’t need a nice car and a nice apartment and a bunch of material things to make me happy. And my environment plays a large role in my happiness as well. If you put me in the heart of a large city, I can function properly and exist well enough, but it isn’t ideal. One pattern I’ve noticed about myself is that the further I get away from large populations of people, the better and healthier I feel. I decided a long time ago that my final place of residence will be out in the country, probably somewhere in Kentucky near the foothills of Appalachia. Being outside makes me happy.
There’s no real point to this blog entry other than me just rambling on mindlessly, however I really would like to know what really hits your spot for you individually in terms of music. If you could leave a reply or better yet, make a post of your own on this topic and let me know, I’d be tremendously happy.
