A Moment in My Life – Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Something marvelous happened to me while I was sheltered in place. I became country! I grew up rock n roll, R&B, pop, soul, with a touch of country. I don’t know if I could take credit for country since there was only one song, “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glen Campbell, in my repertoire. That was as adventurous as I got when it came to country.
Mark was faithful to jazz and country, while my loyalty was all over the board. For me, it depended on the song. He often teased me about my broad range of music preference, but jazz and country didn’t make the cut for a long time. I was warming to jazz the last years he was with me. That pleased him. However, country? Nah, it still didn’t do it for me.
At the beginning of this year, I fell in love with EDM (electronic dance music), or I should say particularly with Alan Walker’s music. Perhaps, I should be more specific since Alan Walker is the only EDM artist I follow. I remained true to my ‘dependence on the song’ rule. It just turned out that many of Alan’s songs called out to me. Great sound. Tremendous energy. Perfect for dancing to get exercise in, and during shelter in place, I need all the excuse I could get to move my body. It is good long-playing pieces to enjoy in the background, too.
As the year evolved, so did my music. One day, I paused and noticed that I hadn’t listened to Alan Walker in a long while. I lived and breathed his music for months. Suddenly, when I glanced at my playlist, I saw Tim McGraw, Chris Young, Carly Pearce, Reba, Billy Currington, Blake Shelton, Faith Hill, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Brett Young, and last but not least, George Strait. Holy honky-tonk Moly! I could hear Mark say, “Who are you, and what did you do with my Jeannie?” And, he would be right. I never listened to any of these artists before. What has happened to me? I woke up one day in Nashville, Tennessee, that’s what happened to me. Mark would be thrilled after he recovered from the surprise.
There is something about country music that touches my heart. It tells a story either of a romance beginning, ending, or anywhere in between. Some are filled with melancholy over losing a loved one, a broken romance, hope, or what have you. It rings joy over life’s blessings, celebrations, and even songs resonating Jesus and Christmas. There are playful songs about everyday life. There’s no ground too wide for a country ballad. They tug at my heartstrings and give me a good cry on those days I need one. They warm my heart with hope and peace at just the right times. They fill my heart with a smile as I dream along with a couple finding each other. I rejoice to hear a country Christmas song. You know what else I discovered—southern rock, which is country Christian. Wow, no wonder Mark was such a fan!
I questioned myself why it took me so long to find country, and the answer is, I still don’t care for all country genres. My country is New Country like country-pop and country-rock. While telling a compelling story, country music is fantastic for easy listening, dancing, or simply background music. Country music has become my Hallmark in music. They are generally feel-good songs that I could trust to brighten my day. Don’t get me wrong. I still love my EDM, R&B, soul, rock, among other genres, but right now, I seem to love country a little bit more.
