Music Child

There's an old story that's always told by my family about when I was a baby, a cute little baby in a crib. My parents laid me down for a mid afternoon nap and went to the kitchen to get dinner ready. They heard a whistle coming from my room, and went to check, a little worried that some hobo had bypassed the ONLY entrance in the house, the one in the kitchen, and had made it to my room unnoticed. They checked, no one there, I was just laying there - 8 month old Yari - staring at the ceiling, gurgling. The go back to the kitchen, by then my aunt showed up to chit chat with mom and they went back to preparing dinner. About 10 minutes later my dad's whistling while chopping vegetables, and they hear someone else whistling along, again coming from my room. My aunt goes to check this time, and finds me, again, laying on my back staring at the ceiling, but this time my little lips are puckered up and I'm whistling up a storm. She calls my parents, they sort of laugh and scratch their head at this odd child (usual reaction for everyone that ever meets me). They left me there and since then, whistling has been a way of communicating/bonding with my dad. I'd whistle a song I liked, he'd find it and put it on the radio for me. Even before I learned to talk. Awesomeness.

The other part of the story is that I could also, as a baby, keep the beat of music. If we went on long rides and the music was blaring, I'd be tapping my foot against the plastic part of the car seat to the rhythm of the song. Most people got a kick out of this, because I could keep and switch the tempo, and apparently I'd have a very serious look on my face, completely concentrating on the music. This started when I was about 11 months.

At 2 years old, I started messing with my dad's Yamaha keyboard. I'd sit for hours and just try songs over and over until I got them. Apparently I learned to play "Gloria" by Laura Branigan first. They let me mess around with the keyboard until I was 4, the youngest they would accept a child into a public school of music, downtown. They enrolled me in piano lessons, and I remember, at 4, being bored to tears at the teacher's endless rants about learning to read music and the methodical way of playing. So, I played perfectly, but with no emotion and they quickly figured out it wasn't for me. They tried clarinet...I mean really? Clarinet? No. That fizzled over too. They stopped trying to put me in music classes, but my love for all types of music was always the same. I still messed around with the keyboard at home, but tried to keep it fun and light. I didn't want them to think my love for piano was renewed.

At 15, two of my friends in high school played guitar. Bingo. THIS was my calling. I always loved any music, but, come on, you know how I feel about rock music in general. I begged for weeks for my parents to buy me a guitar. Given my history with music instruments/lessons, they simply said "It's another phase, no". Hmph. I borrowed this one guitar from my friend Mike, and started just, learning one chord at a time. Two weeks later I, I had figured out how to play about 10 of my favorite songs, the first one being "Hero of the Day" by Metallica. My buddies just looked at me and shook their heads, echoing pretty much what Mike said when he saw me keep up with the other guys while playing Gypsy Kings "How? In two WEEKS...how?!". I felt so proud of myself, and even though my playing has improved very slowly and I'm still reluctant to play lead guitar. I have been the owner of up to 10 guitars at one time and there is nothing, NOTHING in this world that makes me feel better than playing.

It's funny how music has a way to unleash the darkest demons you struggle to get rid off your whole life. It has a way to literally wrap itself around your heart and leave you breathless. A way to re-open old wounds that should have been left in the past. It will make you see a hauntin face every time you close your eyes, with a simple chord combination. A face that left you broken in the past, yet...a face you forgave the instant they hurt you. Sometimes songs attach themselves to memories of a specific moment, or person. Why do we keep listening to sad songs when you are already sad? Masochism? How is it that for me, music can completely alter my mood in a second. I could very well put happy music or some heavy metal so I can let it all just...anger me. I rather live filled with anger, than filled with the heartbroken sadness I cant shake off sometimes. At some point, even happy songs completely manage to overwhelm me...I better stick to angry music. Always works.

If you're in my life, or want to be a part of it...you must either embrace music with the passion I do or at least attempt to understand why nothing will ever take it's place. I wish I could say I'm a music snob, but those years are long gone. I'm pretty much open to anything and if you look at any of my music playlists, you'll think I'm possessed by demons of several nationalities and likes.

Rock on, my kiddos, rock on.

Yari's Top Songs, in no particular order (I cannot, will not, choose a favorite song):

1. Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In - The Fifth Dimension

2. Master of Puppets - Metallica

3. Take a Chance On Me - Abba

4. Cepilla - Fulanito

5. Free Fallin' - Tom Petty

6. Push It - Salt N Peppa

7. Time To Say Goodbye - Andrea Boccelli

8. Raining in Baltimore - Counting Crows

9. The Story - Brandi Carlile

10. A Tout Le Monde - Megadeth

11. 19 Dias y 500 Noches - Joaquin Sabina

12. Somebody Someone - Korn

13. The Trooper - Iron Maiden

14. Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Iron & Wine

15. I Like It Like That - Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez

And countless other metal, indie, alternative, merengue, salsa, jazz, hindu, country, oldies artists...

I'm not too big on R&B...that's about it. But I still listen to a few of those jams too...

I'm ranting. Bye.