I need a music fix...

Some inspirational person once mused, "Music is the key to the soul." And no, it wasn't Sarah Connor, and "NO," the Sarah Connor I'm referring to is not the muscle-bound heroine of Terminator fame. Regardless of who said the aforementioned, magical phrase, I'd like to thank the originator for providing some insight into why music moves us the way it does.

I was introduced to music the way some children are taught to swim: I was thrown into the pool! Mind you, I consider my experience a good one. My uncle Vic--still one of the coolest guys I know--bought me my first L.P.: Parliament's "Chocolate City." George Clinton and William "Bootsy" Collins laid down the rhythms that created Funk (a.k.a. P-Funk), and Hip Hop as we know it today. I wore out most of the grooves in that album--this, after having to replace the album three times because the first three had scratches in them. At least the distributer was consistent! At a young age I quickly discovered that I had a serious problem...I had become a music junkie...and I needed a fix!

I delivered papers and sold cards door-to-door just to appease my music habit. Later, I worked at a record store, The Turntable, to fund my vinyl urges. But I still couldn't get enough. I DJ'd locally at house parties, at weddings, at colleges, and at clubs just so to have an excuse for playing my music how I wanted it, when I wanted it, and as loud as the audience could stand it! Music junkies like me are nostalgic. We never throw anything away. Vinyl L.P.s and 45s, Cassette tapes, DAT, and CDs--I've got it all just as if it were yesterday...or yesteryear. There is a section of my home that is a technological museum of music and the formats on which it has been delivered. I know I'm not alone, so repeat after me:

"Hi, my name is [state your name], and I am a music junkie."

R&B. Funk. Hip-Hop. Soul. Jazz. Blues. I even occasionally listen to classical music when no one is looking! Music clubs like Columbia and BMG hate me. I get my eight CDs for three bucks...buy the minimum to fulfill the contractual obligation...cancel my subscription and start over again. I listen to music in the car, at home, and when traveling. I even put my money where my music is--I bought stock in Sirius when it was just barely over a buck--and made a nice little profit to boot!

Don't feel bad if you're a music junkie. It's okay. And there are certainly worse vices to have...but I won't go there. Yes, music is the key to the soul. It can help you deal with depression, pump you up during exercise, take the stress of your day away, help you recall a special time, or just put smile on your face and a pep in your step. Music is therapy. Take a dose and call me in the morning...
Peace,
+THINKER