Music and memories
By Riley Hicks
Whether it was “By Your Side” by Sade, “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra, or “Crash into Me” by the Dave Matthews Band, music has always found its way into my life. Growing up, my dad was either playing the guitar or writing songs on the back of an old music sheet. My mom, a retired heavy metal DJ and theater kid, was occasionally complemented at church when she sang the gospels. My two older sisters, Hannah and Ellery, fought over the aux cord before they could even drive. In highschool, they constantly dissed each other when the song they were playing was bad or too old and outdated.
I didn’t mind what they were playing, but I always had a sound of my own. The best feeling was when I was given the honor to play a song occasionally and they actually liked it. It was at those moments when I felt “in” on their esoteric relationship with music.
My oldest sister Hannah graduated from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. She now works with artists such as Lil Nas X, DJs with her two best friends, and just recently started writing her own songs. My middle sister, Ellery, is on the way to integrating her hip music taste into her job working in hospitality by managing the concerts and nightlife at a hotel in Los Angeles.
If it weren’t for the music that filled the voids of silence during those long months together, we would’ve gone insane. The strum of a guitar, the sound of a soothing voice, or a collection of notes you didn’t know would sound good together, separately are insignificant things. Yet, when placed into a song, they hold a power unlike anything else.
Music is more than just a mix of beats, tones, and lyrics. Music can give you something you didn’t know you needed; perhaps it’s a feeling of happiness, nostalgia, or intimacy. Music and memories are what come to mind when I think of my family from childhood to now. I am lucky enough to have found music to be a constant in a world of uncertainty.
The power of music has yet to be unlocked for many and because of that, the Chicks and I have decided to share some of our custom playlists with you. Maybe start off with the oldies and then venture bravely into the genre of female rap? So, I ask you to just listen, maybe dance a little, and let the music take over, one song at a time.
