Memory Spark Monday: The Sound of Memories

Hi guys,

This is Liz bringing you Memory Spark Monday. Whenever I think back upon memories my entire senses are involved. Sight, smell, and most importantly sound. I grew up in a house where music was always a fixture. My dad played in the marching band and my brother and I followed in his footsteps, marching throughout college. So I always associate music with memories.

As a child of the 80s, oddly enough, 80s music is not what I remember. I associate my childhood with the music of my parents, which included Billy Joel, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and George Strait. I also associate the oldies with growing up as a kid. When my brother and I were little, we had a dresser drawer filled with old 45s, we would put them on our Fisher Price record player (old brown and orange one) and jump on the bed and around the room like maniacs. Our personal favorites were Wooley Bully and anything by the Beach Boys. To this day, I want to jump around to Wooley Bully (even if I still don't understand the words.)

My high school years were defined by the music of my marching band shows, which included movie tracks from Newsies, First Knight, and Far and Away. I am instantly transported back to the football field whenever I hear strains of "Carrying the Banner". I remember the sweat, the smells of the grass, and the crispness of the air during our final performance in November. I love going back to those memories.

I remember dating my husband and the music I would listen to when driving him home. "Superman" by Five for Fighting and "You and Me" by Lifehouse. We didn't dance at our wedding so I consider some of these our songs, along with Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now". Nowadays, my memories are defined by the songs of VeggieTales, Backyardigans, and Blue's Clues. My most important memories are now those of my children.

I would ask you guess to think about how music or even sound in general has influenced your memories. Perhaps one song defined an important moment in your life. A birth? A wedding? A death? Graduation? Use the music of that time as a jumping off point for your memory and try to scrap about it. Music is a bigger influence than you think. If you don't think of music, also think of sounds like an old ice cream machine churning during summer or the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. Whatever is important to you. I hope this helps you scrap those memories, which is what scrapping is all about!