One of the weirdest things for me so far this year is Willie Nelson
I
never would've expected to be listening to Willie on repeat, yet his
album Teatro is the one I keep reaching to load into the stereo.
My partner wasn't impressed at first, saying that his music reminds her of an abusive ex.
Yet yesterday she wrote a post on Facebook saying how it now reminded her of a friend whose death she grieves.
It's a similar connection for me, I think.
My interest in Teatro arose from watching Rich Beato's interview with producer Daniel Lanois.
Around
the time my father died, I spent a lot of time distracting myself by
watching Beato interviews and the one with Lanois is a highlight.
It's
clear that this old slide guitar player has a funky streak,
particularly when describing the importance of getting a good groove in a
song -- such as Peter Gabriel's hit Sledgehammer.
Teatro was only briefly touched on during the interview, but the track caught my interest and I ordered the album.
Now
as I listen to it I find myself imagining it as something I would've
shared with my father and wondering if he might've appreciated Willie's
music.
The other thing I realise while
listening to the music repeatedly and having an emotional experience is
the way it is conditioning me.
A few years ago I
wrote about how an album by The Avalanches had begun moving me to tears
through being the soundtrack of my son leaving home.
I'm
coming to embrace the role of music in sharing these significant
moments in my life and realise how it's creating the kinds of
connections that I once had with music as a younger adult.
Maybe it's my sentimental streak, but I appreciate the opportunity to create a stimulus that produces a physical reaction.
