I was 6 years old
when I first heard Frank Sinatra sing “Fly Me to The Moon”.
I’ve tried many times
to understand what happened to me that day, but I always end up in the same place. Right where I started.
There are not enough
adjectives to describe the pure adrenaline I felt running through my body in
that moment. The instruments, the timing, the singing, it was all perfect.
Little did I know,
the feeling I felt that day would never go away.
From that day on, I
surrounded myself in music. Music became a part of me, like a new limb.
Of course, being 6
years old, I had very limited resources. I had to listen to what I found. And what
I found was a collection of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley that belonged to my
grandma. I listened for days to all of the music I found. I couldn’t get enough;
I had to have more.
So I did what any 6
year old who just discovered music would do…I stole a few CD’s from my cousin.
Naturally, being a
naive 6 year old, I thought all music was what I had already heard. Standard
pieces performed by men I thought of as gods. Boy, was I in for a surprise.
The first album I
listened to from my cousin was Green Day’s Dookie. To me, that album was it.
That was the cd that made music a part of me.
Did I love Sinatra
and Elvis? Yes, and I will always appreciate their music, and what they did for
music (in fact, I still listen to both!). However, the energy Green Day had,
simple 3-chord structures with lyrics that never left your head, was home for
me. Bands like Queen, Nirvana and Blink-182 quickly filled my ears.
Today, music is still
very important to me. Over the years, I have experienced all different types of
music. From Broadway to Rock and Motown to Classical, I have a deep and sincere
love for music.
Just recently I
discovered jazz music. Now, Jazz has always been a part of my life. Growing up,
I would put on 90.9 at night and play jazz while I did my homework. Now that I
look back at it, that was the problem. I just put jazz on. I didn’t listen.
Thanks to a couple of
friends, one, a jazz enthusiast, the other a jazz musician, I have found jazz.
The enthusiast gave
me the opportunity to embrace the music. The musician showed me that it’s okay
to let it become a part of you.
I’m excited to take
this train in life. I plan on fully embracing jazz music because Jazz is now a
part of me, like a new limb.
Until next time,
Joshua LaPeer…out.
