Music is the soul of life. It is an expression of this earth and the creatures that inhabit it. With it, we dream, hope, pray, and become something far greater than our imaginations. Through it, we see the true person and what we may hope to become. Music comes in all shapes, sizes, and expressions. One is greater than the other only in our own perceptions.
For myself, for music to be meaningful, it must form a picture in my mind, an image I can work with and create a story from. Now, all music tells a story of some sort, but only certain songs move you to create. The stories that come from the music are personal, and some may seem to have nothing to do with the music at all. Our own perceptions and experiences influence what we see, and what we hear. No two people's perceptions are identical, nor should they be. Could you imagine a world where everyone was identical in their likes and beliefs and drives? We would get nowhere. Our perceptions fuel our imaginations, and our imaginations fuel life. The greatest inventor is nothing without that first original thought, and the same goes for all creative professions.
That said, here is a taste of what I like. Eclectic may be an understatement. *g* The various types of music I listen to may not seem to go together, but each can be considered to represent a different part of me. Each genre, each song, has a meaning to me. Many have inspired the stories, or at least parts of the stories, that I write. I hope you enjoy.
Loreena McKennitt
All you can say about this woman's voice is "gorgeous" and that does
not even begin to describe it. She works from primarily Celtic influences,
though there are several other cultures that influence the sound she creates.
Her songs are combinations of traditional Celtic music, music based on
traditional music, poetry, stories, instrumentals, and original works.
Her albums include:
Elemental, To Drive the Cold Winter Away, Parallel Dreams, The Visit,
The Mask and the Mirror, A Winter Garden: Five Songs for the Season, and
The Book of Secrets.
I do not yet have them all, but soon... soon...
My favorite songs are too many to list. I can make it easier
by saying practically every one. Several of the songs have either
inspired scenes or entire stories in both the fanfic I am working on, and
other series I am working on.
Dead Can Dance
A friend of mine loaned me her CD suggesting I should listen.
I did. I like. A very interesting and eclectic mix of music
with definite cultural influences. As of now, I only have one CD,
A
Passage Through Time. I am especially hooked on Cantara,
Bird,
and Spirit.
Xena Soundtracks
Seeing the rest of this page, did you really doubt this? Not
only is it a reflection of the show, but Joe LoDuca has a wonderful way
of combining musical influences from just about everywhere together in
the most incredible ways. Very good. As of now, there are three
CD's (yeah, surprise, I have them); Volume I, Volume II, and The
Bitter Suite.
Metallica
As I said, my tastes are eclectic. Listen to the music, really
listen to it and hear the words. There is more meaning in there than
you might imagine. There statements on society offer a cold hard
view of the truth. Several of the songs have inspired scenes in the
fanfic I am currently working on.
Live
What can I say? I like their music. I prefer Mental
Jewelry to Secret Samadhi, but Throwing Copper is pretty
good too. A few of the songs have given me scenes for a series I
am working on.
Pearl Jam
I know, cliche, but I like them. Well, except for their latest
CD. Their songs have given me ideas for the Highlander fanfic I am
working on.
Last of the Mohicans
Soundtrack
LP turned me on to this during our first trip to New Orleans.
The music is soothing and bold at the same time. You can drift off
to sleep to it, or create your own scenes around what you hear.
Celtic Legacy -
Narada Series
A mixture of current Celtic groups. Their music is done in the
traditional style, but with modern twists. Culloden Harvest will
bring tears to your eyes.
Various Other Music
I Like:
Queen
Nine Inch Nails
Guns N Roses
Collective Soul
Nirvana
The Cranberries
The Verve Pipe
Tracey Bonham
4 Non Blondes
Joan Osborne
Shakespear's Sister
All of the artists and groups I have mentioned have formed images in my mind with their music. No one else may understand these images or where they came from, but it is enough to know that they are there.
All of these groups can be found on the Internet. A rather good
source that I have found is Music Boulevard, but others out there are very
good as well.
Want to know more about these groups and artists? Email me.
Here it is again, the link to Geocities.