For the Love of Music

There is a new obsession in our house. Well, to say new, I should say that it is new within the past year. When the obsession first popped up, I wondered if this was another passing fad, but alas, it is not a fad.   It doesn't surprise me, as he is following in his Father's footsteps.

I knew from the first day that I met Mark that the love of music ran deep. I first met him at a music event at work, and the first time we worked together, he was playing air guitar to Jars of Clay. Who could deny ,that this guy, who ran the music department at the store we worked at knew his music. I was always amazed when customers would walk in and the following conversation would happen:

Customer: "I heard a song on the radio and I would like to buy the CD with that song on it."
Mark: "Sure, do you know the name of the song or the band?"
Customer: "No.... But one of the lines was ....(insert random line from a chorus here)."

This conversation happened many times and almost always Mark would help a satisfied customer walk out of the store with the song they had heard on the radio. His music knowledge to this day still amazes me.

While he has a love of music, and when I say he can listen to most anything, he truly can. His music collection carries a little something in each genre. But his ultimate love, when it comes to music is a band he has followed since he was a young adult. He knows the band members, their likes/dislikes, and the story behind each person. He knows the stories behind the songs, the meanings of the lyrics, why the song was written, etc. He has seen them in concert two times, one of which I was lucky enough to attend with him. The band: U2.

E, following in similar footsteps has introduced another band into our house. He is learning the stories, the songs, the band members. There is a small picture of the band on the wall by his bed, and he is anxiously anticipating the release of their new album later this year. This is not a new band, I know some of their songs from when I was in school growing up.

I heard one of their songs on the radio one day last week. I quickly quizzed E on the song, playing him just a short clip from the song, which was released in 1994. Within just a moment, he had the band and the name of the song in just five short seconds... Basket Case by Green Day. Just like his dad.

On any given day when E thinks I am not within earshot he has Green Day music blaring from his iPod. If he is sitting in his room playing music, it is Green Day. While listening to music at top volumes is not always my favorite thing to do, and I often ask him to turn it down or grab earbuds, I know that he honestly can't help it, the love of music runs deep.

For E's birthday he received drumsticks with Tre Cool's signature on them.
(For those who don't know, he is the drummer for Green Day.)