Now Playing, Songs of 2018

This year, I've been keeping track of the music-related themes melodies silently or deafeningly whispering their notes into my life. Here are the songs and musical stories that have played alongside my soul for the 1st quarter of 2018:

January:  We celebrated Elvis' birthday at a small literary salon called the Octopus. "The King" would have turned 83 on January 8th. He shares January 8th as a birthday with David Bowie (for random trivia brains out there).

It was a listenfest of performance clips and after 3 big rounds of team trivia about him (my husband and I heartily placed 2nd to last), we learned a ton. Elvis was obsessed with police badges from all over America. He admired Nixon. His incredibly hot body in an era way before the dawn of Paleo was all thanks to:  karate. I loved this deep dive evening about the King.

During the course of the night, we got enough trivia for me to know that if he were still alive today, I am fairly sure Elvis would be a Blue Lives Matter guy. In fact, it's incredibly biased to even call him the King of Rock and Roll- here's why:

• He didn't write any of his songs. That shit would never fly in today's music world.
• In fact when he moved to Memphis in 1954, he began a long career "..recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience." So he whitewashed it. I am thankful for those who came before and I am sorry it had to culturally take its moment this way.
• Does selling more than 250 million records of music you didn't write make you worthy of such a title like "The King?"
• Here's a piece written about his Ed Sullivan show controversy- both because of his hips (huzzah says the ex-bellydancer!) and his sound (thank you early African American artists for leading the way in music).  

I'm glad the 1950s are gone. Unfortunately, we have many who are working to take us back to the darknesses of that era. To quote part of the song, 'I write, 'I'm sorry but my 1950s values keep coming back!'




February:  I danced to Lemonade and scoured my soul seeking the light, seeking leadership I can bring into the world along with 40 or so other women at my dance studio. Dancing to the words, the power, the rage, and the call to action of Beyonce's Lemonade struck me as being in tune with what was to come. Formation is for February.




Lemonade was a harbinger for now. For female. For Mother rising. Women, community, and unity as our future as told through Bey's narrative. It's so much bigger than one woman, one artist, or one song.

Now more than ever we are desperate for the feminine arrival and power. Sorry Elvis, this would not be your time. Not at all. I vow to continue being accountable for the magic and sisterhood of the afternoon in my work. I will continue to inspire others to use their voices every day. I also vow to raise my own voice up more often and spend less time silencing my own spirit.


March:  I didn't know these tunes of my formerly young, white, female identity would be held in the embrace of giant redwood trees but after a weekend exploring Self and the barriers, secrets, truths and breaking points inside guided by Alanis Morrisette and two others, I am grateful for having discovered 1440 Multiversity. 

Indeed, one hand is in my pocket and the other is making a peace sign. The identities she gave us to resonate with in our 20s are still in here, still helping us live and thrive in contradiction, guilt, self-importance and concern for our world around us.