In her book A Perfectly Kept House is the Sign of a Misspent Life Mary Randolph Carter says
“Music is the salt and pepper of an evening”
I couldn’t agree more. Although I would take it one step further, Music is the Salt and Pepper of a Home. When I’m in a melancholy mood I’ll turn on some George Winston, December. When I want to feel young I listen to The Cars or Leigh Nash when I want to feel happy I’ll turn on some folk music. It’s physically impossible to feel sad when you hear a banjo playing.
This weekend while my boys met with their tutor, I had an hour to go into Barnes and Noble and grab a coffee and a stack of books and shelter magazines. The cafe was slammed. I could hear way too many conversations–do people realize how loud they are talking? The young girl with the older professor talking about iPhone apps, the study group meeting three tables over, the long line of coffee thirsty people with only two baristas {baristi?}to serve them. My hour of blissful reading was grossly interrupted.
Until.
Until I remembered I had my earphones. I popped them in and turned on Pandora and my old lady channel of solo piano and Philip Wesley’s Soul’s Lament played and suddenly the crowded scene changed from annoying to meaningful. As I looked around, it was if I were in the midst of a story, it was a beautiful, moving sight. Music had the power to change the tone of the entire place even if it was just in my head.
Philip Wesley – Soul’s Lament
The same can happen in our homes. We can use music to our advantage. Just like the color we so carefully choose for our walls, music can easily set the tone for an evening, even something as simple as fixing instant potatoes becomes a worthy task when I’m listening to the right music.
So after I work in my office all day, I always look forward to coming home from carpool, turning on my Wailin’ Jennys or Alison Krauss or The Civil Wars channel and enjoying a lighthearted music. It’s the banjos. And the fiddles.
The Civil Wars I’ve Got This Friend
Required reading from my sister: a beautiful post about Music Inspiring Writing {but you can apply it to anything, even decorating and living}. And also this post, about following your crazy ideas springboarding from the Grammys.
I’d love to hear from you, what music is part of the soundtrack of your life?
ps: yippie!
