Music

With classes being over I have been able to wander over cyberspace, and have finally made my way to yourtube. I know, I know, its not new, I wasn’t saying that it was. Being my first time on yourtube I snooped around and found many music videos’s that I have never been able to watch, songs by Paul McCarthy, John Lennon, the Beatles, U2, Pearl Jam, and Steve Miller Band.

As I watched I began to reflect on my musical journey. I grew up in a musical family, my parents didn’t play instruments but some of my earliest childhood memories are of my mother singing in the praise and worship team at the small Foursquare Gospel Church we were apart of. My Father would be quick to tell you that the only thing he can play is a stereo, but that didn’t stop them from singing as much as they could and as often as they could. Growing up we would listen to a lot of Christian music, Petra, Stryper, Carmen, and Amy Grant to name a few.

When I got older I played percussion in band, later playing drums in two different church worship teams. I also sang a lot. I was in the high school choir, and coral ensemble (yes I did dance and sing). In fact it was on a trip with the choral ensemble that I bought my first secular CD. It was the Beatles Past Masters Volume 2. From there many other CD’s followed most of which I still have. While today my music selection is pretty eclectic, something I pride myself on, I find that there are three major bands that I listen to constantly. Partly because I like their sounds but also because their music has a tendency to speak to me on a spiritual level.

The first band is the Beatles. Some of their music still moves me to tears. I know many people would disagree with me but I do include all their solo careers under the heading of Beatles. The reason being is I feel their music does feed off of one another; the fights between John and Paul musically are the stuff of legends.

Secondly is U2. The eternal optimist, who draws such beautiful and plentiful word pictures draws my heart in and makes me believe in a better tomorrow. My first album of theirs was “All That You Can Leave Behind.” Since then I have added many other albums under my belt with “Atchung Baby” probably in first.

The final band is Pearl Jam. Shawn over at LoFi-Tribe is the one who got me started on them and as I listened I remembered hearing many of their songs in my high school years. I have found such a spiritual longing in these songs and a strong sense of something not being right with humanity that these lyrics cause me to look for God, even when things are bad.

I know most of these artists are not Christian, but it is my continual belief that the Holy Spirit can speak through anyone, at anytime and only the unwise shut their ears and eyes to the voice of God. Wherever it can be found.

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