stop everything. who is that?

No, its not a "Dude, who's that chic?" moment.

I recently did a "show and tell" at work, my subject was my relationship with music. I've been playing guitar since I was 6 or 7 and involved in singing, arranging, writing, recording and playing live for 15 years or so.

In prepartion for the talk, I examined my behaviour and decisions I had made over the years where music was concerned. I also explored my behaviour around music - while it’s on the radio, buying new music, playing cds at home etc.

I realised a few things:

1. I never stop listening.
   Anywhere I can hear music, I'm processing its melody and structure, decontructing it's content and assimilating each song. Which is why, sometimes people are talking to me and all I hear is "wah, wah, wah". I've unintentionally tuned them out to take in more music.


2. I can't turn off a song mid way through.
   Songs have an ending that was constructed thoughtfully to ease you out of the experience. Cutting them off is wrong, even if you are late.


3. When I bring a new cd home and play it for the first time, no-one can talk over it.
   It is forbidden until I have absorbed it completely then mild chit chat is tolerated.
   
   
4. I can only buy one album at a time
   It takes too much out of me to absorb and assimilate more than 15 tracks in one sitting. I love all my albums as they have come to me and told their secrets one at a time. Some have come in pairs and I can only love them half as much.


5. If its too loud or not the right mood or annoying I notice immediately
   At work there's a massive shared iTunes library. I'm tweaking things for a more harmonious workspace ahead of most people's reactions: "I just realised that was starting to become too hectic but you got there first", "Yeah, definitely a Monday morning song" etc


6. Stop Everything. Who’s is that?
   Sometimes a song comes on the radio and I have to shush everyone, get them to stop what they are doing, stand perfectly still and listen. A song will literally stop me in my tracks. Then I have to know who the artist is before the end of that day. The last song that did this was Gravity by John Mayer. Drink it in.

I value my gift, I'm helplessly affected but its beautiful.