Why does music move you so?

[Mr. White]

Since I was 9 or 10 years old (about 37 years ago now), music has been one of the greatest driving forces in my life. I have so many memories of me providing the "tunes" to our daily lives, it's unreal. It seemed to me that my friends were never quite into music as much as I was, and it was always left to me to bring the sounds. Now that I'm all grown up, most of my friends seem to have outgrown quality music or at least have stopped "going out of their way" to find and appreciate good music. They seem to believe I am wasting my time (and money) seeking out rare and unique stuff. I know the folks who come to this all powerful Forum do so because they are like me to some degree. My Morning Jacket has simply given me (and I'm sure plenty other Forum members) a new spark and a renewed confidence in my original belief that music rules the universe!

I guess this thread is here for you all to share and reflect on why you love music so much, what it has done for you, and how you might have stood out as "the music freak" amongst your friends. (I'll share some memories at a later date.)

[rincon2]

On my way back from Boston I sat next to a guy from Boston who is studying guitar at USC. He turned out to be an MMJ and DBT( primarily Jason Isbel) fan. I played him some Month of Sundays music. He described Jim and DBT as "earnest". I think that is why they are my 2 favorite current bands. They give a shit! They write for themselves. That may sound like a contradiction, but in music it is not.

[LeanneP]

I don't know why it works it's magic, but it does! 

The first song I learned was Hello/Goodbye by the Beatles. My dad taught me how to properly play vinyl back when I was about 8 ('79) and told me the the record collection belonged to both of us. My favourite game as a kid would be when Dad would spread out about 6 records on the floor and I would pick one at random to play. I was raised on Dylan, the Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Kinks, The Beatles, Neil Young... When we'd take car rides, a pastime for our family, we'd be driving along in our cool 60s or 70s hot rod (my dad rebuilt "muscle cars" for fun) and we'd sing along to the radio, taking care to sing the Dylan songs in Dylan's crazy accent. 

Now, when I hear music I like, I feel such incredible joy. I need to sing and dance along.

[Jaimoe]

Music makes me happy, sad, angry, violent etc. In other words, it has always connected with me on an emotional level. I pity those people, and there's more than you'd think, that don't feel anything when they listen to music.

Actually, MMJ hit a lot of emotions I've mentioned. They even piss me off (see EU). 

[rincon2]

"I was raised on Dylan, the Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Kinks, The Beatles, Neil Young..".......Apparently so was MMJ, because I hear all that in their music. But in my opinion they are better. I am not a youngster, saw PF, RS, The Who, and NY when Jim was just out of diapers.

[oistheone]

To me, music is everything. But it's not the only thing.

I'm always thinking about music, just not always directly.

Sometimes I'll hum a familiar tune. Sometimes I'll whistle a madeup melody. Sometimes I'll pick out a song played over grocery store speakers and have it in my head for a week. Sometimes I hear a song and no matter how unrelated it may be to what I've got going on in my life at the moment, it just resonates with me.

Resonance. THAT'S why it moves me. All music... hell, all SOUND, is resonance. And good music resonates in the mind. In the heart. In the soul.

Music enhances life.

Music is contagious.

Since I got back from Bonnaroo, I can't escape the thought that "man, I just fucking LOVE music!", and I'm glad this thread popped up, because, well... I fucking LOVE music!

[weeniebeenie]

I've been trying to think of something to type but I keep deleting what I've written. Music just makes me feel better. It creates little memories about the first time you heard or really got a song. It makes you happy when you're sad, calm when you're angry, it's just a really good thing.

[he.who.forgets]

I've been trying to think of something to type but I keep deleting what I've written. Music just makes me feel better. It creates little memories about the first time you heard or really got a song. It makes you happy when you're sad, calm when you're angry, it's just a really good thing.

I'm with you here, I could go on and on, but I'm not good at articulating these feelings.  Another thing I love about music though is that it's completely universal.  Strap a guitar on your back, take off and you'll be able to pretty much relate to anyone on the planet.

[Mr. White]

Some of my early "music freak" memories come from youth trips on buses away from home. I used to belong to a pretty large youth choir in my church that would go on a week long summer tour, and I was a member of the high school marching band and orchestra. I was a part of both of these musical groups until my senior year. On just about every trip we took (band shows, choir competitions, and recreational trips to amusement parks or to just go bowling) I brought along the portable stereo and the jams. Back in the late 1970's and early 1980's, a "jam box" was usually a big 8-Track player. Some newer models could play both 8-Track AND cassettes! I always brought my small 8-Track player along or borrowed my cousin's much larger one (he was the son of a doctor, so he usually had some of the newer and more expensive devices). Some of the bands I specifically remember trying to turn the "top 40" crowd on to were: Rush, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, The Who, The Beatles, Kiss, Ted Nugent, Ozzy, Dio, Black Sabbath, and AC/DC. I wasn't really trying to force others to listen to my music. I was just trying to share what I considered "good music" with all those around me who seemed all too willing to fall in line with the "pop" music machine that seemed intent on killing rock and roll at the time. (The "pop" machine included TV shows like Solid Gold and "top 40" radio.) As our music tastes expanded, they really seemed to be broadening out and behind us into the past. I just couldn't believe so much music that had come before us was being ignored and forgotten about. I did my best to prevent that.

[Willard1979]

My earliest memories of listening to music, started with listening to my parents 8-Tracks.  As I can recall, they had some Beatles, Beach Boys, and others I can't remember.  I couldn't have been older than 5 or 6.  After that, in 1991, I was 11 years old, I discovered R.E.M.  From that day on, my life was forever changed.  They brought me so much joy, and changed what I listen  to now.  Music always has and always will bring me joy.  I would not be here if it wasn't for music.  It has helped me in so many ways.  I will forever be a music fan.

[Gina]

Music triggers endorphin activity - which makes you feel REAL GOOOOOD.   

People who are music lovers also tend to associate memories with certain songs, words, etc.

I grew up listening to 50s Doo Wop, Reggae, and Classic Rock. This is what my parents listened to.

I listened to disco, funk, most Monterrey and Woodstock artists...I discovered The Who when I was 9 (1978), moved onto Genesis (1980) (still loving The Who) and have no shame in admitting that I love synth pop Big 80s.  I like ALL genres, for the most part, EXCEPT hard core rap, free form jazz, and whiny tear in my beer country/western/honky tonk (the really OLD country).  I even like swing, Broadway, folk, and I LOVE world music.

I have the knack for not only naming the song, but the artist, who wrote it, album, year it was released, and other odd bits of useless information....all based upon my memories of where I was at the time I heard it.  This makes me VERY dangerous on music trivia games on the NTN Playmakers at the local bars.

I think that most of us, being passionate enough to share these thoughts on a band's website forum, are similar in this way.