I'm Type Music Positive

One night, my friends and I decided to play a game. The game pinned the boys against the girls with the objective to sing a song that contained a certain word. Round One was based off of singing a song that contained the word "Love". Immediately, the girls team started to sing the chorus of I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston. From there, it was a back and forth battle until both teams couldn't think of a song with the word "Love" in it. The next round ironically contained the word "bitch" and this brought out so much laughter. The funny thing was, the boys were lucky that I was there that night to be on their team. It got to the point where even some of the girls were saying--

"How does Noah know all of these songs?"

I do not remember who won and who lost. For the sake of preserving history, lets just say that it was a stalemate.

I guess music comes naturally to me. Which is to say I listen to A LOT of music, and a lot of different kinds of music. By doing so, I grew a large appreciation for it. Developing a craving and desire for the experience of musical artistry. When the sounds enter the human oratory system, for me, the sensation is incomparable. It has been this way for a long time. For as long as I can remember, I have always loved music. Probably every day, I find myself singing and dancing to music. This is a symptom to most Pop and R&B music with me. With Rap and Hip-Hop, it's kinda different.

Don't get me wrong, I love Hip-Hop and Rap. That love is mostly heavily based on the memorization of lyrics. With artists like Eminem, 2pac, Kendrick Lamar, and (the most recent) Chance the Rapper, it also provides a new arena to relate to people. For example, I could call my roommate's name right now and say "Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice...." and we would proceed to recite the remainder of the first verse of Keep Ya Head Up by 2pac. Or, I could say "It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up Magazine..." , and we would recite the whole first verse of Juicy by Notorious B.I.G. Memorizing and reciting song lyrics is a real party trick, especially if there is a gathering of people where there is no loud music playing. It brings energy where there is none, That is just one of the things that I consider a talent.

Eminem was definitely the first for me. When I saw 8-mile (2002) for the first time, my whole perspective on the world changed. He pushed me into the pool, and eventually taught me how to dive. Rather, he started by holding me by the ankle and dropping me in head first, and it got to the point where I knew how to do it on my own. From there, I began to explore all of the other artists of the genre that he belonged to. Not just the up&comers either, but everybody. The classics like Run DMC, all the way to the new guys today like Chance the Rapper.

Chance is my favorite right now. I hope he wins a Grammy! The man is a genius, and a real mad scientist when he steps into a studio and a recording booth. His lyrics are just obnoxiously brilliant and his instrumentals are attractive and musically pleasing. If you haven't checked out Acid Rap or Coloring Book, I would without a doubt check those out. Furthermore, the reason why I am such a big fan of Chance, is because of his character and the humility that he lives up to or portrays in real life. He literally gives his music away for free on SoundCloud and Spotify, so that everyone can listen to his music. In addition, the reason why he refuses to sign with a record label is because he views it as a hinderance to his creativity, and I agree with that one-hundred percent. Cheers to the man!

Anyway, reciting lyrics is one of two ways I move with the music. There is also a second form of musical expression, and that is dancing.

How dancing became a part of my arsenal, was when I discovered Michael Jackson. Right after he died, I saw his first performance of the Moonwalk on the internet. That legendary performance at Motown 25: Yesterday, Tomorrow, Forever is what truly got me hooked. I saw that, and became borderline obsessed with learning the move. Then once I came into possession of his music video collection, and watching live performances of him and those that knew and performed alongside him, I learned how to dance. More than that, I found my sense of rhythm. Believe it or not, white people can dance and have rhythm. I can dance, therefore I have rhythm.

I can dance to almost anything. It is not like counting numbers in my head, and matching dance moves with those numbers. I just let the music move me. It sounds cheesy and cliché, but there is no other way to describe it.

Prior to this almost obsession with MJ and dancing, there was Rock&Roll. We all have our own opinions of who holds the crown for the greatest Rock Band or Rock Star, but my vote goes towards The Beatles. Yes, I know that they are from the U.K. and they don't count as American Rock Stars, (which that crown goes to The King himself Elvis Presley) but they still laid the foundation for the Rock Music that followed. Any time I hear Here Comes the Sun, Revolution, Hey Jude, or any of the other iconic songs that the British Kings of Rock are known for, I am removed for a moment from the toils and limitations of the day. The Beatles do that to me.

It was during my High School days that I fell in love with EW&F (Earth, Wind and Fire). Man, those guys were funky, No wonder the 70's and 80's were the "Hay Day" of Funk Music. During my time in high school, considering the fact that I was in the Marching Band, their type of music was highly attractive to me. Myself being an average saxophone player, I only wanted to play songs like September, or Let's Groove and In the Stone.

I regret not finding a love for Prince until way after High School.

Damn. I remember the day very well. It was last spring. I had just completed my last final exam and it was raining outside. The minute I turned on my car and the radio, the first thing I heard was

"We lost an Icon today. The Artist formally known as Prince has died today." I was in shock, yelling "Nooooooo!".

In disbelief saying

"No! What? No! No! What?" over and over again.

I had his Greatest Hits CD in my car at that time, and I blared Purple Rain the whole way home. With Prince, there is a tie to my family. His music is one of the many connections that I have with my parents. They grew up during the time that Prince arrived on the scene. They were there when Let's Go Crazy, I Would Die 4 U, and Little Red Corvette were new sticks of gum to chew. His music, makes me wish I was alive in the 80's.

And then there's Frank.....

Frank Sinatra

Dear Lord did that man have style! His voice is just so iconic, and his music just makes me feel like I'm a 1920's gangster. When I hear songs like Luck be a Lady, New York New York, or Fly Me to the Moon the nostalgia of jazz and vocals come alive. Frank is another artist that I didn't learn to love until after high school. There were hints here and there. For example, I remember singing a duet of My Way with my Band Teacher one time. That was probably the start of the whole thing. A love for singing, and saying what a man really wants to say through a song. Sinatra did that, and he held no punches.

I'm pretty sure that I covered all of the artists that are in the picture above.

To some people, these artists have never lost their flavor. However to the people of my generation, I think we tend to look forward at what new trends can be followed, instead of looking backward to honor those who paved the way for what we have today. People like Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, and Prince are without a doubt legendary. They sent shock waves through time and space with the music that they created. Songs that can only be surpassed by the music that the angels make in heaven. The same can be said for The Beatles and EW&F. Groups of musicians that came together to produce music. Music brings people together. Regardless of what makes people different from one another, what brings people together is a love for music. All kinds of music, even Hip-Hop and Rap. This is what makes artists like 2pac and Eminem a part of culture today. Regardless of the genre of music that our culture identifies with; whether it be Jazz, Rock&Roll, Disco, Pop, R&B, or Hip-Hop and Rap, music will continue to unite people despite their differences.

It is a beautiful thing. To be united with random strangers, and meet new people because of a shared love for music. It is why I did Marching Band in high school. It is why I consider that time period my time as a Rock Star. To be able to perform on a weekly basis with the lights shining down on me, and make music come alive in a performance. I look back at that time now, as the launching pad for a love for music. It is one of my great loves, and it has never been bad to me. My love for it has always served me well, and it will surely continue to do so.

Music is in my blood.