Music Moves

Music Moves©

By

Michael Casey

Music moves us, music evokes a mood, music reminds us of this or that. That was the song playing on the radio when we first met, that was the song on the jukebox when I turned around and saw her face. When I saw her face, her hair falling down onto her shoulders, or her hair tied back, whatever way it was it overpowered me. She defeated me, I was hers though she did not know it, yet.

The crew cut he had was so bad that I laughed at him, his ears stuck out too much, but the way his eyes sparkled, I knew I was his, but he did not know it, yet.

Music adds the sparks to any romance, it’s the spark of life itself. Maybe the drumming of bones from a buffalo in the caveman’s cave were the start of music, the beat, the heart beat that is music.

As I talk to you I’m listening to some old Folk music, Harvey Andrews is the singer/songwriter. His music evokes a quiet sense within me, it reminds me of a period in my life when I went to a folk club to listen and drink to music.  Thoughtful interesting music, where words are paramount.

Other music brings out other moods. I have loaded up my music to my computer so I have my own private juke box if you like, I have a small hi-fi on bookcase behind too. We have a piano squeezed into the room as well, so sometimes my daughters are on the piano while I talk to you.

So music from whatever source can influence what I’m writing, a faster or slower pace of writing and subject matter. I’ve just switched to Gerry Rafferty, the entire album is really great. Perhaps my typing speed will increase now. It says it was produced in 1978, I was 20 then, working in computers.

Music is the marker in History, when we were 17, when we were 21, this song was in the charts, that song was in the charts. News may come and go, but Music is Eternal, each Age of Man is marked, signposted, by music. Hippies with all their hair was matched by this music or that music. The music of our times reflects the attitudes we had at this time or that.

Music can fix a point in time, in history itself. Great music always sounds great, it never fades, it really is part of our DNA. Though some sounds can be forgotten, and they deserve to be, we have one hit wonders as well. Other songs, great songs and sounds we just want to close our eyes and bring back the memories into our mind.

Eric Clapton is a part of my life, my brothers had a wall of sound while they studied. 45 years ago first one brother then another, had a reel to reel tape recorder and a speaker blasting out music. I still have the speaker. My brothers did get into the 2 best universities in the world. As for me 30 years later I met Eric Clapton when I was a concierge, I almost carried his bag, but I did make him laugh.

So Eric’s music evokes a mood, a memory in my life, The Monkees reminds me of my youth too, and I have their music as well. Happy music and happy times, Ali, Moon Landings, this was music and the 60s, now we have Miley Cyrus who has a great voice but cannot afford to buy any clothes.

Move to the 1970s and for me Jean Michel  Jarre was so novel, so now when I play his music I think how it could be used as mood music in my novels. Film music is so important, it catches the mood of a film, it is the icing on the cake. Though some may say it is the eggs that bind the cake, the film together.

Music videos are a new thing, I can remember when MTV etc did not exist, UTube was not invented either. So music videos evoke a mood, a theme. Lady Gaga’s can be very very funny. But music has morphed into video/film. So it’s a first cousin to pure music itself.

The Old Grey Whistle Test was a music show on tv, the title comes from the fact do people whistle a song after hearing it. Do you hum along to the song, or tap the steering wheel while in traffic. Do you smile and turn the volume up, if you do then the music has reached your heart.

Music is for all occasions, it soothes the savage beast, it stills a beating heart, it warms against the Winter chill. And when Spring comes, the birds themselves make music, birds rejoice with their songs. So let all of us follow their example, for we have music in us all.