wifemothereventplanner

I’ve been having a lot of fun writing this blog.  I’ve gotten a ton of feedback from those near and dear to me and total, complete strangers from around the world – and it’s felt good to know that folks are tuning in.  I’ve been trying to talk some people into starting their own blogs – because that’s what I do.  Once I enjoy something I’m convinced that my loved ones will too.  I can’t help it. I’m bossy like that.  

So I’ll be pushing/prodding/bugging/begging some guest bloggers. My kids have already happily volunteered.  My husband shook his head and walked out the room (he’s warming up to it).  All are welcome – whether they want to or not!

So here you are world (or at least the 16 sovereign countries reading this blog)! Thanks to my little bitty sister for being the first guest writer! I hope this is the first of many she will write for us.

Music Is My Hot, Hot…Well, You Know

I love music. As an English teacher, my love of music rivals my love of literature and writing, and I’m okay with that. When I was a teenager, I wrote poems, listened to music almost 24 hours a day, and wanted to be a drummer in a rock band. I was also shy and nerdy (you read the poem-writing part, right?), so you know the only band I ever belonged to marched during halftime.

But I came by my love of music honestly. My sister’s records turned me on to Madonna, the Bangles, and an array of cheesy 80s bands (for which my boyfriend still hasn’t forgiven her), my dad and I bonded over classical Indian music (I think my love of a good beat comes from the incessant tabla music I heard in the car during family road trips), and when I was a teenager, my sister brought home a boy who seemed to love music as much as I did (Elton, Bruce, Bono), if not the same kind.

Over the years, music went from being background noise, to hobby, to obsession. My musical preferences evolved from recommendations from friends and family to something entirely my own. I began to identify with my music. As a teen in the late nineties, I spent many nights on my computer IM’ing my friends and searching for new music (I won’t say where because I don’t want to get arrested, but it rhymes with “spealing from Shwapster”).

As an adult, things haven’t changed much. You’d think I’d have grown out of it, but being obsessed with music is so much more fun as an adult. I found a guy who may actually be more obsessed with music than me; we go to concerts whenever we want, even on school nights (though I fear we may be becoming The Old People at the Concert, and you know exactly what I’m talking about); and I don’t have to rely on Shwapster to get my music fix.

I still share music recommendations with my sister and the boy who became my brother-in-law, and this led us, a few years ago, to a wonderful and terrifying journey called the Top 15 CD. One Thanksgiving, we decided to make Top 15 CDs of our favorite songs of all time, dessert-island style, and then share them over Christmas. This is harder than it sounds, especially for the music-obsessed. What followed was a month and a half of sleepless nights, stomach ulcers, and panic attacks. Okay, not really, but it was hard. It was also so much fun. For people who identify with their music, this was some serious soul-sharing. And here are the finished products (I’m only sharing the most important lists—mine and wifemothereventplanner’s).

Feel free to judge us by our music; that’s how we roll in this family!

Here’s my list:

Here’s my sis’s:

Now what I really want to know is this: What would be your top 15?