The Six Songs of Your Life

CMEA Band Festival is over. State testing is upon us and the last thing anyone wants to do is to jump back into playing....most importantly me. We are all fighting burn out and trying to push to the end of the year. But we need something to do....

And a friend suggested this article from NPR.

The Six Songs of Your Life it was a story put out by NPR that asked listeners to list the six songs (title & artist/composer) that tell the story of your life up to now. Along with a line explaining why the song is important to you. (e.g. I remember singing this one in kindergarten).

I have challenged all three of my band classes (those Unanimous Superior rated ensembles) to complete this task this week and then share them in small groups next week.

Here's mine:
#1-Tingalayo-Raffi
My elementary music teacher played the guitar and sang with our classes and we sang a lot of Raffi. I absolutely adored that class and music in general at a very young age. One of the first concerts I ever went to was Raffi.

#2-American Pie-Don McLean
This just summarizes for me so much of middle school and high school both my experiences and the music that I listened to during that time. It reminds me of home and of my past.

#3-The Dreaming Tree, Dave Matthews Band
I have been a huge fan of the Dave Matthews Band since I was 15 years old. I have seen the group many many times with many of my friends and have wonderful memories of the concert. A dear friend who is no longer with us, helped sketch out a winter percussion show idea around this song called "The Dreaming Tree." A few years later my winter percussion group at Santa Teresa would do this show and we were very successful that season.

#4-Appalachian Spring, Aaron Copland
This is one of my favorite pieces of music and reminds me of my experience as a classical musiciand going through music school. It was also the piece of music that I got to conduct the first year I was drum major at UO which was a life changing experience and it was an honor to be that postion with this group.

#5-Somwhere over the Rainbow-Iz
Makes me think of that special someone in my life.

#6-Home-Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
It reminds me of Home and of the nearest and dearest friends I have in my life. You know who you are.