The Soundtrack to Your Life

     Music has undoubtedly entertained people for years. Not much can top a person putting thoughts and feelings into a flow of notes and rhythm. As humans we experience a daily dose of mood swings but fortunately there is a great variety of music to sync our emotion with. Often we treasure songs by their words and by the pictures they paint in our minds. Given that I absolutely love listening to almost all types of music so I thought I might share a compilation of some of my favorites for every type of personality or for any given moment of the day.

     Music for the Happy-Go Lucky: When you’ve got nothing to lose but time, your crusin’ in the car, and the sun shining outside gives a positive outlook for your day, you gotta harmonize with the likes of Natasha Bedingfield, Beyonce, The Beatles and The Shins. For the ultimate feel good feeling see Bob Dylan and his collection of happy beats.

     Music for the Family Reunion: Everyone getting together usually means good fellowship, home-cooked food and maybe some funky traditions. Putting some Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys and Rascal Flatts in the background will get everyone singing along and maybe even a make shift karaoke party started.

     Music for the Rainy Days: I don’t know about everyone else but when I wake up to the sounds of rain plinking on the roof, I put on my most comfiest attire and pleasantly enjoy the day doing a good deal of nothing. The voices of Bon Iver, Coldplay and The Weepies prove the perfect soundtrack to relax and ponder life while looking through raindrops on a glass window.

     Music to Get Things Accomplished to: As many days as we would like to wallow around and do nothing, some days we have a growing checklist and impending deadlines. The right music definitely helps me cancel out distraction and zero on exactly what I need do. I plug into Mumford & Sons, Explosions in the Sky, and compositions by Rachel Portman to get in my zone.

     Music to GET PUMPED too: Whether your getting ready for a great night out, driving to a concert, or putting a song on at a party think Nicki Minaj, Passion Pit, Wallpaper, and Flo Rida. The White Panda website (http://www.thewhitepanda.com/) is a music mash up website that puts out mixes of current top hits and is a fantastic resource as well.

     Music to Listen to Just Because: Of course, some artists and their music are near perfect for any occasion. My most reliable include John Mayer, the Dave Matthews Band, Chris Brown, Ingrid Michaelson, Beyonce, Regina Spektor and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It’s the kind of songs you really don’t mind playing on repeat.

     There isn’t anything like the feeling you get when your favorite song comes on and everyone around you knows that you know every word. Everyone has their own taste in music and how it matches to their current perspective but I think we can all agree that we owe a lot to songs and the song artists. Music gives us a chance to escape and daydream. Songs also bring together the old and the new as we continue to enjoy our parent’s favorite tunes. American pianist Billy Joel said it best, “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by.”