What's that Ruckus? #1

For pleasure or for expansion of the mind, people read books, perfect a craft or skill, watch movies, study the outdoors or exercise some form of writing.  And although I have done many of the same activities, only one has endured through all the phases in my life: music.  Even as young as four or five, I have had an affinity for music appreciation.  When I was old enough to start playing an instrument and studying music, I did so with a loving embrace.  Once I felt comfortable with learning one type, I learned another.  Today, I have a solid foundation on four different musical instruments and even developed my voice a bit by the times I finished college.

At my youngest ages of appreciation, my tastes in music was directly influenced and controlled by my parents, listening to artists they enjoyed such as Billy Joel, Elton John and Jackson Brown.  As I cot older, my dad starting sharing with me some of his 70s and 80s rock (which I didn't enjoy very much) as well as 90s grudge music (which I had a bit more tolerance for... but not much).  In my teenage years - the years of the first Napster - I went crazy in downloading all different types of music that I had heard since 1990.  From my late teenage years to where I am today, a large amount of Christan music (traditional and contemporary) has invaded my musical library.  But no matter what it is I am listening to, it will probably remind me of a particular season in my life, a certain person or group of people, or a life-defining circumstance.  Although a bit corny to say, my musical library is like a soundtrack for my entire life.

Or to put it very simply, I love music.

The "What's that Ruckus?" series will be something I'll be posting every now and then to share and archive all the music I've grown to love.  Please feel free to comment about alternative meanings or received revelations by any of the songs.  Also, I encourage you to share with me any of the music that has been important in your life.

That was a long intro... without further delay, here is the first installment.

To kick off the series, I've decided to share four of my favorite songs that I've been listening to recently.  Keep in mind that my any list of favorite songs, artists or albums are liable to change randomly and often.

Third Day - Blind

A bit on the lighter side of what I listen to, I have been convicted by the message of the song, particularly the pre-chorus: "My heart I could not trust/ because it lies to me too much/ and the mind cannot just understand it all."  It reminds me for the days where I looked for truth and purpose in my life, but came up empty handed because nothing in life seem to remain consistent.

John Reuben - Time to Leave

I really wanted to post "Life is Short" but I can't find the video anywhere in all the Internets so I settled for my another favorite.  I wrote a whole blog about this song on r2r if you want to check it out.

Falling Up - Escalates

I don't pretend to know all the meanings going on in a lot of Falling Up's songs, but I interpret this to be about someone who can not find purpose in their life or they are hiding a heartache.  Either way, they continue to exist pretending everything is fine on the outside, but knowing inside it isn't.  It's message seems tells us that when we choose to wear our happy plastic faces, one consequence is that no one really understands each other on any meaningful level.

The Fold - Sink of Swim

This song was written as an encouragement to a friend.  It also serves as a reminder to us all that the culture around us is as large and powerful as the ocean tides.  All of us make choices on a daily basis and those choices determine who we are.  However, if we do make regretful choices, our history and shortcomings do not have to define us.