A field guide to growing up without growing apart
The condition of the month this month features another millennial figure, the legendary singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Born in 1989, Taylor has been growing up alongside us. Like the authors of the Twenty-Something Condition she has had to weather the transition from early twenties to mid-twenties, and all […]
Concerts; Fun and yet riddled with chaos. I am definitely a music lover, but I am also very cheap which means that I don’t go to concerts very often. Last week was the first time in a few years that I have gone to a […]
Sometimes, I don’t have brilliant words to say. Sometimes, I don’t even have any words to say. When that happens, I turn to music. As I mentioned in my last post, my husband and I have been going through a rough time lately because he has been out of work. I thought he had gotten a new job, and then it did not work out. So the roughness continues. After this happenned, I heard a song that I hadn’t heard in a while. I hadn’t thought anything of it before, but this time it hit me like a ton of bricks and I started crying uncontrollably. This is the song of my soul right now:
There is another beautiful song that my husband and I have been listening to lately as well. He told me that he thought he resonated with this song more than any other that he could think of. You’ll understand why I think that’s so beautiful when you hear it:
Confession: I love being put on hold. I know I know, the dreaded hold is the low of your day, the place you get sent when a company isn’t going to help you, the wasted time spent listening to overplayed Rascal Flatts, the costly minutes […]
I’ve had a job for three months. It’s a great job. It pays well, I’m not micromanaged, I’ve learned a bunch of new programs; I can show up at 10 or work through lunch and if the roads are seriously covered in snow I can […]
It’s that time of year! Even though my chances of a white Christmas are about one in a million this year, I can still get into the spirit with my favorite holiday tunes. So here they are!
Hark the Herald Angels Sing by Mannheim Steamroller
In my house growing up, th
e Mannheim Steamroller CD was often the first Christmas record busted out after Thanksgiving. For me, there’s just something about those synthesized trumpets that herald the start of the holiday season, even if it does make my house sound like a department store on December 24th.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by N’SYNC
I was introduced to N’SYNC’s Christmas album a few years ago by none other than Sleeping Booty. Ever since then it’s been a holiday season staple. The cooing tenor sounds of a young Justin Timberlake result in a really original version of “O Holy Night” that you just can’t help but “ooooh,” and “ahhhh,” along with. “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays,” is perhaps the best song on the album, though. It’s upbeat, happy, and guaranteed to be stuck in your head all day. If only the Backstreet Boys had put out a holiday CD of their own…
Peace on Earth by Casting Crowns
Original Christmas songs aren’t always a good idea, even though most artists, especially Christian artists, inevitably try to make it happen. But “Peace on Earth” is an exception. I love the piano part at the beginning, and the lyrics remind you why we celebrate this season and leave you longing for the day when there really will be peace on earth.
The First Noel by Josh Groban
I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for Josh Groban’s enchanting voice and glossy brown curls. “The First Noel” is a duet with Faith Hill. What more could you want in a Christmas song? “O Come All Ye Faithful” with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is pretty bomb, too.
You’re Here by Francesca Battistelli
“You’re Here” is a Christmas song from Mary’s perspective. I like it because it fascinates me to think about what Mary would have been thinking and feeling on that silent night. Plus, it’s pretty, and much less over-dramatic than “Mary, Did You Know?”
All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey
Popularized by the film Love, Actually, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” really hits it out of the park. Every Christmas playlist needs a song by a belter like Mariah, something you sing in the shower at the top of your lungs. And this is the one for me.
The Hallelujah Chorus by Handel
It’s not strictly a Christmas song, but in high school my orchestra often performed “The Hallelujah Chorus” at our winter concert. It was always a crowd-pleaser. We pulled out all the stops: full orchestra, horns, winds, and percussion, and the whole school choir standing behind us to handel (ha!) the hallelujahs. I still get chills thinking about it.
Basically I love Christmas and Christmas music, which is why I look forward to my morning commute everyday now, when I can just sit back, relax, and listen to this playlist while the sunny, sandy, un-Christmasy scenery passes by outside.
So in the words of N’SYNC:
It’s a wonderful feeling
Feel the love in the room
From the floor to the ceiling
It’s that time of year
Christmastime is here
And with the blessings from above
God sends you his love
And everything’s okay
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays
I love fall. When October rolls around everything becomes magic. I step out the door, taste the crispness in the air, and it gives me a spring in my step. When its fall, all I want to do is take long walks through the brilliantly […]