Wishing a very happy book birthday to
Sophy Henn and the awesome The Music In Me
This stunning book is a joy to read aloud
A rhythmic celebration of music
A joyous explosion of colour
That illustrates the link between music and emotions
A book about knowing yourself
And staying true to you
A portrait of good days and bad and all things in between
A guide to finding the music in you
Because we are all made of music
THE MUSIC IN ME
Music has always been a HUGE part of my life.
I was raised on 50s and 60s music. As a child I loved The Everly Brothers, Connie Francis, Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Neil Sedaka. My Dad loves music and it was through him that I learned so many rock and roll songs and love songs. My Dad loves a ballad. We used to always have music in the house and in the car. My little sister and I would know all the words to every song played. I have so many magical childhood memories linked to the songs of the 50s and 60s.
As a ‘tween’, though that was not a term in the 80s, I loved Stock, Aitken and Waterman. I was a HUGE Kylie Minogue fan. I also loved Tiffany, Belinda Carlisle, Martika. I loved watching MTV and VH1, and I used to record the Top 40 every Sunday and spent many hours making mix tapes.
As a young teen I started to like U2, The Cure, REM, Faith No More, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Guns and Roses, Metallica – I still liked pop music and rock and roll. I also liked Cher and TIna Turner, Phil Collins and more. My musical tastes have always been eclectic. I just love music. I was a HUGE New Kids On The Block fan.
As I went further into my teenage years I loved NIrvana and Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Radiohead. I also loved Oasis and Blur, Dodgy, James, Ocean Colour Scene and Jamiroquai. At the same time I also loved All Saints and The Spice Girls. And I ADORED Take That and especially Robbie! I also enjoyed garage and R&B. I just loved to dance and sing! I loved so much music in the 90s. I loved being a teenager in the 90s! I think one of my most listened to albums was probably Jagged Little Pill, Alannis Morrisette.
Throughout my childhood and adulthood I have also adored musical theatre. I love going to the theatre and I love singing songs from the musicals. My children now love it too, especially Esther who at 11 is so similar to me. She writes out lyrics and learns songs from the shows and then records herself singing them. Singing makes her happy just as it does me. There is nothing quite like music and singing to raise your spirits when you are feeling low, to comfort you when you are feeling sad.
In my older teens and young adulthood my love of Indie and rock music continued and I started clubbing. I loved house music and I loved going out dancing all night. I have so many wonderful memories of seeing favourite DJs at big clubs and also dancing at smaller little known clubs. I loved listening to Leftfield and Massive Attack. I loved dancing to house and trance. I saw in the new millennium at Gatecrasher, The Chemical Brothers dropped Robbie’s Millennium and it will be something I remember all my life.
As an adult my love of music continues but I find myself with less time to listen.
The Killers and The White Stripes remind me of David and Esther and William being born and travelling to and from NICU.
David and I had a wedding punctuated with music. Before I entered the church we played The White Stripes, the bridesmaids entered to The Dixie Cups, Chapel of Love, I walked down the aisle to REM, At My Most Beautiful and we left the church to U2, Vertigo. In the afternoon of our wedding we had a barn dance, we moved from the dance to dinner with Johnny Cash and then in the evening we danced to a playlist of all our favourite songs. Our first dance was to The Cure, I’ll Stop The World and we left at the end of the reception to Primal Scream, Movin’ On Up.
I have lots of songs tied into my memories of Tilda and songs that help with missing her and grieving her. The most powerful and poignant of those is Starlight by Muse.
I definitely have music in me.
What music do you have in you?