Tuning In

A few days ago I landed on Laurie Foley's blog thanks to a facebook link from Pam Slim. Laurie had done an assignment given to her in one of Pam's classes. The assignment was to create a Soundtrack for Success. I loved the idea. My life is as wrapped around music as music is wrapped around my life. I asked if I could borrow the idea and was told to run with it. Run I have. This was an incredibly difficult assignment. I love so many kinds of music and so many thousands of songs that I feel a list of 20 is sadly inadequate. Even so, I've managed to stick to parameters.

What follows is a list of Go To songs for when I need inspiration of any kind. These are songs that speak to me very loudly as a collective Creative Soundtrack. They are in no particular order. I am including links to each song - the titles are live links.

• Glenn Miller's A String of Pearls... because Glenn knew how to make finesse an art form. He'd pull a phrase to near death and then breathe life into it all over again.
• Bob Marley's Lively Up Yourself... misery might love company, but it doesn't accomplish much else.
• Goo Goo Doll's Iris... this will forever be my song of painful truth when remembering John. I listen to it when I need to reach the deep hurt and turn it back to beautiful.
• Yes's Roundabout... because this is the song I want played when my ashes get scattered. No other song so well captures the natural beauty of the Pacific NW for me, or the beauty of the relationships I've had. Besides... that bass just flat out kicks ass!
• Nat King Cole's Nature Boy... because, at the crux of everything I believe is this truth: "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."
• Dave Matthews's Crash Into Me... because it's one of the most sensual and sexual, luscious and lush, beautiful and heart breaking songs I've ever heard. I get goosebumps every time.
• Jason Mraz's You and I Both... because "I'm all about them words... hundreds of pages, pages, pages for words."
• The Who's Reign O'er Me... because it makes my pulse quicken.
• Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes... because we need to connect with each other.
• Eric Clapton's After Midnight... because a little rebellion is very good for the soul.
• George Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps... because our passion for what we do will live on long after we are gone.
• Etta James's At Last... because good things are worth waiting for.
• Nickel Creek's Smoothie Song... because it just feels so doggone good!
• Massive Attack's Tear Drop... because "love, love is a verb... love is a doing word."
• Richard Harris's I Wonder What The King Is Doing Tonight... because no matter what our station in life, we have doubts and fears.
• Joni Mitchell's Shiny Toys... because it's all about "whatever makes your time feel satisfied... whatever makes you feel like you're right on time."
• Collective Soul's Better Now... because "the world's done shakin' me down."
• Incubus's Drive... because "whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there."
• Eric Clapton's Signe... because I've never seen an artist as completely passionate about his work as Clapton is. He once said, of playing guitar, "I can't NOT play." Passion takes dedication and devotion.
• Bob Dylan's Don't Think Twice... because it doesn't matter what you sound like or look like - if you've got something to say, don't think twice, it's alright.

So there you have it. This took a lot of thought and research, but it was great fun! I'd recommend the exercise to everyone. It's amazing what you can discover about yourself when you take a look at the things you like, and the reasons you like them. I'd love to see your list when you're finished.