The story of music and me

Today is International Music Day! I wanted to take this opportunity to look back and think about my love affair with music from the beginning. What started it all? I wish I could tell you that my parents nourished my appetite for music with a diverse and educational record collection but the truth is much uglier. As girl growing up in the the 1980's, I followed the New Kids on the Block craze with more enthusiasm than I'd like to admit. But arguably worse is the fact that the first album I bought on compact disc was...Joey Lawrence by Joey Lawrence.

Yeah, that Joey Lawrence of Blossom. Whoa! I was in grade seven. I was 12-years-old and unlike some of my classmates, I didn't feel enough angst to identify with Nirvana yet. (In case you're wondering, that is Joey Lawrence as the bald pirate-like contestant in the latest season of Dancing with the Stars.)

mp3: Joey Lawrence - Nothin' My Love Can't Fix

The angst would come later, and soon after its arrival, I found solace in Sarah McLachlan. She's not exactly an icon of youth in revolt but It was her song, "Elsewhere" that captured my attention. In my teenage eyes, its lyrics reflected so much of what I felt, specifically the struggle for independence, that I hadn't heard in any other piece of music. Although I had listened to Sarah before, it was "Elsewhere" that made me realize music could be mean something more than the superficialities of pretty pop. Although, her more recent albums have failed to draw me in the same way, Fumbling Towards Ecstacy remains one of my favourite albums of all time — and I think one of the best Canadian albums ever.

mp3: Sarah McLachlan - Elsewhere

What, Sarah isn't cool enough for you? If she's cool enough for Darryl McDaniels aka DMC of Run DMC, then she's certainly cool enough for you.

mp3: Sarah McLachlan and Run DMC - Just Like Me (Will.I.Am Remix)

So, what's your music story (morning glory)?

Comments

[teri]

my music beginnings are as cheesy pop as yours! (i posted a picture on my music blog)

but really andrea, JOEY LAWRENCE? hahahahha.

[Andrea]

I'm not proud!

[iris]

poor dog.

p.s. sometimes i can read those damn security letters as well as 'automated robots'.

[Andrea]

That dog (argus) loves music!

Security letters? Automated robots? What are you talking about?

[Maggie]

Remember the video, when Joey runs down the beach throwing a football?
<3_3

[Andrea]

Do I remember the video?

You mean this?

God bless You Tube for keeping his memory as a pop star alive.