Thursday, June 26, 2008

21 Days of Gratitude: Day 11

Today I'm grateful for music. For the songs and lyrics that give voice to my feelings. For the rhythms and rhymes that stir my emotions and comfort my soul. For the movements and melodies that take me to a different place in time and pushes me forward in my life's journey.

Victor Hugo said it best when he said music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. Writing is how I express myself best, but more oftentimes than not, music is what inspires me to put pen to paper. Or fingers to keyboard in this case. As a consummate observer of life, I participate by soaking in my surroundings, taking in the sights, smells and sounds around me. I turn to music to evoke these images recorded in my mind, bringing forth memories that move me to expound on my feelings.

As much as I love my Zune, when I have to put in time in front of the computer, the easiest way to add a soundtrack to my writing is to turn to my Myspace page and let my playlist run in the background. I add a new song now and again if one catches my ear, but the majority are my personal classics, ones I've enjoyed for a long time and have special meaning to me. Sometimes for the newer songs I'll take a break from writing and look up the lyrics and have my own private karaoke party. C'mon, I'm Filipino. I can't write about music without mentioning karaoke.

I'm posting my playlist and when I have time I will update this post to link them to their lyrics (if applicable) or the artists' website (how did we function before internet?) for my own convenience. Truth be told, this is just a tiny fraction of the variety of artists and music genres I listen to, but they're all I could find so far on Playlist.com.

I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

The Way I Am -

Falling in Love in a Coffe Shop - Landon Pigg

You Give Me Something - James Morrison

Love Song - Sara Bareilles

She - Elvis Costello

The Prayer (featuring Charlotte Church) - Josh Groban (the playlist mislabeled this one)

Moody's Mood for Love - Elliott Yamin

The Nearness of You - Norah Jones

Overjoyed - Stevie Wonder

One Flight Down - Norah Jones

At Last - Etta James

Whenever, Wherever, Whatever - Maxwell

Sunday Morning - Maroon 5

Lost Without U - Robin Thicke

The Way I Are - Timbaland

Together Again - Janet Jackson

Let's Make a Memory - Bon Jovi

Whoops Now! - Janet Jackson

Falling Down - Duran Duran

Nite Runner - Duran Duran

Biggest Part of Me - Take 6

Fragile - Sting

Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae

Don't Know Why - Norah Jones

That's All - Michael Buble

Let's Stay Together - Al Green

We Could Be in Love - Lea Salonga

What Am I to You? - Norah Jones

Take Off Your Cool - Norah Jones

It Never Entered My Mind - Miles Davis

September - Earth Wind & Fire

That's the Way of the World - Earth Wind & Fire

Time to Say Good Bye - Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman

Thank You - Dido

This Ain't a Scene, Its an Arms Race - Fall Out Boys

The Only Difference - Panic at the Disco

Spoiled - Joss Stone

Music - Joss Stone (featuringi Lauryn Hill)

That's How you Know - From Enchanted

(Another Song) All Over Again - Justin Timberlake

Requiem - Mozart

Voi Che Sapete - The Marriage of Figaro

Fantasy Impromptu - Chopin

Silence - Beethoven

Sinfonia - Philharmonia Baroque

Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water-bath is to the body.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

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