This morning I woke up to a surprise from Miss Andi over at her Music & Words blog. She is starting a tradition of nominating music bloggers for their writing contributions and selected Music Is The Home For Your Pain!  I could not be more flattered by the nomination and would like to pass this chain of positivity forward. Here are the rules for the awards:

Once accepted, the award process has five steps:

  1. Link back to the person who nominated you
  2. Answer the questions with words AND music
  3. Pass the award on to 5 bloggers who inspire you with their posts about music
  4. Tag your post with #MWA, for Music&Words Award so that we can all find you down the line
  5. Quote these 5 steps and the award icon in your post. You can display the icon on your sidebar as well. 

Q&A

Q1: What does music mean to you?

Where to begin for this question? Music means everything to me. It is my source for joy, and it is my companion for pain. Music has enabled me to interpret the world and the people around me.  There’s something about listening to your favorite bands and artists that makes you feel less alone, and a little more understood. Whatever the situation, I always find myself wanting to turn to music to celebrate, to grieve, or to find an answer.

Q2:  What is your first music-related memory?

Many of my favorite memories are attached to music. I’m not sure which was my first, but I remember always listening to the radio or to cassettes in the car with my mom. She truly exposed me to a variety of music, from pop to alternative to R&B, and I found myself gravitating to her own tastes when developing my musical interests. She also had a cassette with the best Disney songs, and even one with tunes to help my older brother memorize his multiplication facts. At home in the living room, we had a stereo that my mom would often turn on. I remember listening and singing along to artists like Brian McKnight and Matchbox Twenty.  When I was with my grandmother, she would always listen to the oldies station in the car. I have been exposed to jazz and swing since I was a young girl, so music by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Perry Como will always hold a special place in my heart.

My first memories of making music came from school. I remember singing with my classmates in first grade during music class. I always loved being able to express myself through song, although I soon discovered I had limited vocal talent. By the time I was in second grade, I begged my parents for piano lessons.  From that day forward, I have been making music in one way or another, continuously craving to learn a new instrument or master a challenging piece.

Q3:  What was the first album you’ve purchased yourself?

This is a tough question, because I don’t really remember. But I’m fairly certain it was Avril Lavigne‘s Let Go.  I was only in kindergarten at the time but I used my birthday money to pay for it. Looking back, that decision began shaping my love of pop rock and my obsession with lyrics.

Q4: What was the latest music you purchased? (No online streaming or free downloads, I’m talking about cash here!)

I received a lot of iTunes gift cards for Christmas (my family gets me) so I’ve been going on music shopping sprees.  The latest song I purchased was SafetySuit‘s newest release “Pause“, which you should all listen to.

Q5: Which song did you listen to last? (No cheating, come out with the dirty pleasures!)

I actually just ran a quick errand and put the radio on while I was driving. The last song that played was “Adventure Of A Lifetime” by Coldplay.

Nominations

So enough about me. Instead, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for — my five blog nominations. I must admit that I need to find more to read, but here’s the five that I’ve been checking out lately.

  1. For all things indie, check out Soul City Rocker‘s blog The Best Indie Songs. Dremus hand-selects the best tracks and writes in a refreshing question and answer format, making it easy to follow along and quickly find new tunes to blast.
  2. Fiona‘s blog is mainly about music, and she does a cool monthly feature of her favorite tracks. Her genre tastes are pretty broad, so you’ll be sure to find something you enjoy. Take a look at her February picks.
  3. Kristen features new music every week, and even posts a recap and review of the latest American Idol episodes. The latter is extremely helpful to me, especially since I’ve been missing the show and want to read what other people think about the contestants. Read what she has to say here.
  4. Ally‘s blog takes a highly personal approach to music blogging, as she chronicles her favorite tracks and lyrics, along with album and concert reviews. Check out what she’s been listening to this week.
  5. If you’re looking for honesty, A Redhead’s Digest is the blog for you. Emily constantly updates her space with her latest musings on albums, concerts, and even books. Another bonus is the frequency of her posts. You’ll never go too long without something new to read.

Check out all of Miss Andi’s nominations.

DISCLAIMER:  All views and opinions expressed on this site are my own and do not represent the views and opinions of any entity whatsoever with which I have been, am now, or will be affiliated.