Do You Ever Wonder Why This Music Gets You High

I mentioned in my first post that I have an unhealthy obsession with music and that’s about 4000% percent true. If music was an actual drug, my loved ones would probably try a hardcore intervention and I’d rebuff in such a way that I’d make Amy Winehouse’s refusal to go to rehab look like a mild temper tantrum.

Pictured: how my brain behaves on music

There isn’t a day that goes by in which music doesn’t feature, even if it’s only briefly. I put music on first thing in the morning (after my initial 10 minutes of hating the world post wake up). I sing (poorly) in the shower, while doing the dishes and I’m constantly humming under my breath. Music provides my last moment of sanity before entering the sterile and professional environment of my job. It also provides the bookend to my day, becoming one of the last things I do before nodding off into the land of the unconscious.

To me, there is no better feeling in the world than slipping those little ear buds in my ears and hearing my head fill with sound. I love being completely immersed in it.

I’ve been known to annoy others by pointing out tiny nuances in songs that no one else seems to noticed.

Pictured: you after the 8^th time I’ve played you something and you still don’t hear it and probably really want to punch me in the face

But I love those moments. It gives me a thrill to find those tiny runs of melody or small musical quirks. I’ll spend the time it would take just to listen to the damn song repeating the small musical treasure I’ve found.

Skip to 3:00

I could listen to that run of “come here and let me rock you like a baby” (more specifically the “come here” part) a million times and never tire of it. There is just something about how those specific notes leave his mouth in such a melodic way that my brain becomes hooked on it. I don’t even think I have a purposeful way of describing exactly I feel during that bit. Justin sings it so perfectly; it’s like the notes just fall effortlessly down the musical scale similar to the way water flows over a cliff.

Ah, metaphors.

Never mind the fact that the harmonization during this song is to die for; I love the deep, bass singer who underlines the whole song and the whole 1950-60s vibe of this song is beautiful.

You’re probably thinking I’m crazy right about now. But I find moments like this in just about every song I listen to (regardless of whether or not I’d like to do naughty things to the artist). Finding that moment is damn near euphoric.

Music is so much more than the tiny nuances though. I’ve been known to majorly geek out at dramatic key changes.

Skip to 3:08

Tell me that didn’t feel like a punch in the face—an awesome punch in the face. Obviously, that’s one of the most dramatic examples of epic key changes, but any key change will give me the chills.

Similarly, I love when a song starts off slow and unassuming and then explodes into something you did not expect from the initial opening bars.

Just that voice and lone drumbeat and then…BAM, the beat kicks in, the guitar starts busting out killer riffs and everything musical and wonderful is happening. Before you know it, you’re rocking out to this unexpected awesomeness.

Pictured: you rocking out to awesome

Equally as awesome, I love when, mid-song, all the music stops and you’re left with just the vocalist belting out a note or something supremely more awesome.

Skip to 3:07

That song actually has several of those moments, which is why it is one of my favorites. When that pause happens, I actually panic, like, “OMG, where did the music go?!” and then the melody picks back up and I relax. It’s an indescribable feeling.

Yeah, something like this

Above all, I love that I haven’t boxed myself into only liking one genre of music. Browse through my music collection and I’m sure you’ll probably find questionable taste. But the most important thing that determines whether or not I enjoy a song is 1) a good beat and 2) how it makes me feel.

Fine, that’s two things.

But those two things are the reason I’ve got a Joe Jonas song snuggled next to Macklemore in a current play list (with zero shits given).

Pictured: me not caring

I’ll listen to Timbaland and follow it up with Mumford & Sons. I’ll get my jam on with Maroon 5 and Queen. I’ll relax with Josh Groban and then belt the shit out of Nsync.

And all of it makes me so blissfully ecstatic to be alive. Music gives me more of a rush than I could ever imagine any drug doing.

LB's Top 5 Songs You Should like
(Or You're Wrong)
1) Baba O'Riley // The Who
2) Carry On Wayward Son // Kansas
3) Come Together // The Beatles
4) Foreplay/Long Time // Boston
5) You Make My Dreams // Hall & Oates

I also love something about songs recorded in one take. At times, I feel songs are overproduced, over perfected to the point it doesn't feel real anymore. I'm looking at you, Autotune.

Songs done in one take are so much more raw and real. You can hear the imperfections in the artist's voice and the sincerity behind their words. Famous examples of this include Lady Gaga's "You and I", The Beatles "Hey Jude" and Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful".

My favorite though? Justin Timberlake's "(Another Song) All Over Again". Damn, if you can't just feel his pain through the speakers. And it's powerful as hell.

Damned if this song doesn’t make me want to love his face

Thus far, I've waxed poetic over songs with lyrics and the voices behind them. And I'm sure I'll launch into a novel about how instrumental pieces set my soul alight (which they do), but I find it fitting to end this section with my favorite musical instrument of all time--the human voice.  

The human voice is amazing musically. I mean, just think about it. Some people can hit an insane amount of notes and some people are restricted to only a few. But nothing makes me squirm with more glee than the well harmonized tones of an acapella group. Oh God, when multiple voices layer over one another to the point of complete tonal resonance...that is my nirvana moment.

I know their band name was a play on "in sync" but did they lie? Love them or hate them, those boys could harmonize something fierce. Their voices blend so seamlessly together and flow so flawlessly into the next soloist it makes me want to cry. The low bass tones Lance brings sounds the whole sound into something full and rich. The higher registered Chris brings evens everything out, and for me, makes this vocal cocoon I just want to wrap myself in and live forever. It also makes me realize Joey was seriously under utilized during their hey day.

Any awesome acapella group/song makes me feel this way. I've been known to break out in goosebumps and get the chills over a well high group harmonized note. It's basically musical crack.

I appreciate more than just the voice as an instrument. Not many instruments can top the love I have for a well played piano, not even my beloved french horn. Damn, do I love the piano.

This guy is my piano God

LB's Top 5 Musical Instruments
1) Piano
2) French horn
3) Human voice
4) Oboe
5) String instruments

ALL THE STRING INSTRUMENTS!

About 45% of my love for Mumford & Sons comes from all the banjo playing. Fuck yeah, banjos!

Upright basses for the win! So much awesome from five basses. I love that rich, deep tone and the way the strings vibrate. I've easily watched this video about 47 times.

I have no coherent way to express how much I enjoying hearing a bunch of string instruments playing together. Or any combination of musical instruments for that matter.

Hmm...yeah, that about sums it up 

  

Music is communicative. Sometimes it expresses ideas and feelings better than us as humans can put into words. It's emotive. It can make you feel as if you've soared to the highest of highs or have sunk to the lowest of lows. Elated, depressed, anxious, tense, panic, thoughtful, hopeful...

Why do you think music accompanies almost every moment during a film? It's to bring you emotionally into the visual experience happening to you. Would "Jaws" have been as terrifying without the warning music? That little musical line is iconic as a representation of fear.

I love movie soundtracks. I listen to several on a regular basis and every time I get sucked back into the emotions I was feeling while watching the movie.

This song plays in the film as Tony Stark first builds and flies the new suit for the first time. My favorite part comes at 2:18 where the music beings to crescendo and it's as if you can feel the excitement he feels in that moment. I've been known to rock out hardcore during this song. 

The world would be boring without music.

Pictured: you in a world without music.

Basically, I don't know what I would do without music. I don't know what I would do if 35% of my brain wasn't dedicated to remembering lyrics to songs I'd heard over ten years ago (I'm looking at you, Hanson). I'd like to think my love of music goes deeper than the insane rush of dopamine my brain experiences when sound enters my ear. But then again, I suppose that makes music the ultimate feel good drug.

Long story short, I get the equivalent of a boner when I listen to organized noise.