My Love Affair With Music
My name is April and I’m an addict. My drug of choice is music. Just saying the word music makes my stomach feel all tingly like I have butterflies in there. From the time I wake up in the morning, to the time I go to sleep, I live for music. I can always be found listening to something new I found or a classic that is timeless. It all sounds the same to me and I just can’t help swayin’ to the groove.
I think my love affair with music started when I was a young child. I was born in 1980, back when MTV was still a fledgling network and didn’t have us begging for our MTV quite yet. 1980 was a sad year for music lovers everywhere, as John Lennon was assassinated in December of that year. I don’t remember that, but when I think about how much he brought to the world with his music and words of peace and love that I can only imagine the pain of losing someone so special. I only have John’s music to listen to but it fills me with a sense of him, as if listening to his music keeps him alive and makes me feel a personal connection with him. I’d like to think that anyways.
My earliest memory is when I was about 3 or 4 years old. I was living in Texas at the time and I remember watching Cyndi Lauper’s Girl’s Just Wanna Have Fun music video on MTV and dancing in front of the television. Sure, it’s a delicious 80’s pop tune/girl anthem, but it is my first memory and I relish in it. To this day, I still love that song.
My parents moved a lot because of my father’s job, so when I lived in Honduras in the mid 1980’s, I heard a lot of oldies because it was either that or the Spanish stations and my parents preferred what they knew. I personally love Spanish music, but listening to those oldies back then gave me a huge appreciation for classic songs and how a short simple song can have so much meaning and stand the test of time. While most people were listening to 80’s music, I was relishing in 50’s & 60’s music.
When I moved back to the United States in 1989, I began listening to the local radio stations and I was hooked on the Top 40 because it featured all sorts of genres that I wasn’t exposed to yet. My home life was never great to say the least and at times was abusive, and music was my escape. I listened to my little radio day and night. I would get lost in the music and in books, and I don’t know how I would have made it through certain times of my life if I didn’t have music in my life.
I’ve always wanted to be a singer so I have always been involved in chorus and piano lessons growing up. When I was choosing what high school to go to, I went against my parents wishes and auditioned at Dillard School for the Performing Arts. I was 14 years old and scared out of my wits but I was determined to follow my dreams. I chose Janet Jackson’s Again as my audition song. I had to wait a month for the letter to arrive in the mail letting me know if I was approved or not. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I had been staking out the mailbox waiting everyday for this letter like my life depended on it, and in a way it did. When I saw the mailman leave, I ran to the mailbox and went through all the junk until I found my letter. It was such a simple thing; white and thin, not much inside. I tore it open like a wild animal and read the first line:
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted….
That was all I needed to read. I think it was one of the happiest moments of my life. I remember running down the street barefoot on the hot South Florida pavement to tell my mom that I had been accepted since she was visiting a neighbor. When I told her, I remember her response: “That’s nice.” Gee, thanks for supporting me, mom.
While I attended the performing arts school, I had a chance to sing backup for James Ingram, Roberta Flack, Peabo Bryson, and Sheena Easton. They were looking for local backup talent for a concert that they were holding here in South Florida. I was chosen even though I was still a freshman and only 14 years old. It was such a great experience and one I will cherish forever. My parents didn’t bother attending. At the time it hurt, but now I can look back on it and not care. I was breaking free of them and while a child always wants that parental approval, I didn’t need it. I was happy with or without their support. Music would get me through just like it always had.
See, my parents had always told me that writers and singers were nothing but starving artists and I would never have money if I pursued those fields. What my parents didn’t understand was that I didn’t care about how much money I would make. All I ever wanted in my life was to be happy and music and writing made me happy. Today I am a starving music-loving writer, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Since high school, I’ve been through a lot in my personal life and I may not have a career as a musician, I still write… especially about music. I also write song lyrics and hope to one day be known for my lyrics as a songwriter like my idol Carole King. I know it’s a long shot, but I know dreams come true. I’m living a dream right now writing to you about music. Life is great and no matter what happens, I’ll have music. It’s not just the universal language of the world, but it’s also my first love, my mother & father, my best friend, and no matter what happens, music is always there for me and I will be there for music.
I wanted to add this video because not only is it a classic, but whenever I watch it, I remember that innocent little girl dancing in front of her television and not only wanting, but getting her MTV.
So enjoy Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. It’s 80’s, it’s cheesy, and it’s just plain ol’ delicious.
If you’d like to find out what I’m currently listening to, you can always find me at Last.fm, Blip.fm, making mixtapes on 8tracks, and you can always follow me on Twitter.
Image courtesy of Yummy Cream
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Really, really enjoyed reading this.
Dan