#134 Accidental music

Hello friend,

When I sat down to write this post, I literally could not remember where I had written the notes for this week's free post. I have too many notebooks going all at once, and it’s starting to confuse me. So, I’m going to have to do a bit of a tidy-up and finally focus on only one thing, as my mind is chronically overwhelmed.

I decided to talk a little bit about music this week. Here is what I’ve salvaged from my notes (I still haven’t been able to find the notebook where I wrote this week's notes, but I’m sure it’ll turn up as soon as I hit publish!!).

When it comes to music, I have a clumsy knack for accidentally discovering things. I come from a working-class family of Italian migrants whose main concern was work. My parents and grandparents gave me the most precious gifts: the freedom to experience art, music, and words. I never had anyone telling me what to listen to, read, or watch; I’ve discovered everything with blissful randomness.

I came into contact with opera and classical music one Sunday afternoon as a bored twelve-year-old channel surfing on the TV during school holidays in Australia. I stumbled upon a live Met opera broadcast on the ABC network and it has never left my memory ever since. 

Twirling through the radio channels on my old stereo made me find ABC Classic FM, a radio station dedicated to classical music, which educated me on all sub-genres of this complex type of music up until my mid-twenties when I moved to Italy and sadly lost this soundtrack to my life. I’m happy to report I’ve managed to pick the classic FM habit thanks to many new radio streaming apps.

I first heard the American beat poet Allen Ginsberg performing his Ballad of the Skeletons on Australian Triple J radio station, the year that he died, which lead me to Jack Kerouac, Patti Smith and an entire generation of artists I didn’t know existed.

I heard Roy Orbison when his final album came out in 1988, warbling out You Got it, I fell for his ephemeral voice and slowly worked my way backwards through the catalogue of one of the founding fathers of Rock and Roll, while also gathering an understanding of everyone from Elvis Presley, to Charlie Perkins, Johnny Cash and the Grand Old Opry. 

The Travelling Wilburys led me to the songbooks of Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and Jeff Lynn, which in turn led me to Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and Tom Waits, all in a natural, organic progression through American and British rock.

I discovered musicals also from the t.v watching Sunday afternoon re-runs of classics from Gene Kelly’s American in Paris, Singing in the Rain to Mary Poppins, the Sound of music, Carousel, Seven brides for seven brothers, Brigadoon, The Wizard of Oz and a whole universe of stories. 

I’m eternally grateful for late-night classic movie reruns, which gave me the joy of witnessing Fred Astair’s fancy footwork and amazing works of art performed by amazing actors like Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall, Peter Lorre, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, Charlton Heston, Kurt Douglas, James Stewart, Vivien Leigh, Bette Davis, and the endless stars in a galaxy who shone so brightly in the now classic Hollywood style. But then that’s a whole other story. 

Photo by Marcelo Chagas

Today my playlists are so random and can include a motley succession of artists from Icelandic princess Bjork, to the hauntingly addictive voice of Thom York, the beautifully retro sound of Amy Winehouse, the original power of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and equally powerful Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine.

My listening will change according to my moods, the seasons, and whatever else I may think of, consume, or witness. 

Some days, I wake up with a random song in my head and have to listen to it. I’ve been listening to Robbie Williams, Tori Amos, Billy Joel, Chappell Roan, The Darkness, St Vincent and Rufus Wainwright this week alone.

There is precious little pop in my listening unless, only if despite the best of my ability, I find something too catchy to ignore or become transfixed on a chorus or a tune, but it soon works its way out of my system.

I’m Australian so I grew up with some great lyricists playing on my radio including Nick Cave, Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, the Finn brothers and Gotye.

The haphazard habit of discovery continues today when I am suddenly struck by the unique sound of a new artist.

There was a period of my life when I forgot about music. As is the case with grief, loss or trauma, your body goes numb, and you kind of phase out of the world entirely as you take time to heal your heart and slightly damaged soul. 

Listening to music was painful for a moment. But eventually, the music comes back; it eventually does as you begin to live again. Music has helped me immensely to keep going despite great sadness and holds up many of us.

I have a deep love and appreciation of classical music. Sometimes, I prefer to lie on the sofa with headphones and disappear into a piece of orchestral music. Sometimes, we don’t even need words; the music itself can create such colours and images in our minds in a very basic, universal way. Through the great composers, it is so easy to be transported to different times, worlds, and even universes. I have been partial to a little bit of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, particularly Finlandia Op.26.

I have a particular affinity for opera, particularly Italian opera. I started listening to it after watching the now legendary three tenors concert in the early 1990s with Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti. The live-streamed concert from the Baths of Caracalla, a historic Roman landmark, showcased three of the best operatic superstars of the time and exposed many people to popular Italian opera standards.

I thought Italian opera would also help me learn more Italian, even though Italian in most operas is quite archaic. I fell in love with the combination of the language, the music, and the complex and involved plots. The world of opera is filled with endless stories in an ornamental art form that combines elaborate costumes, sets, and interpretations.

For me, there is something magical about Italian opera. The musical nature of the language lends itself so well to this art form, and the creative nature of Italian librettists and composers has created many memorable operas to enjoy. After all, the genre originated in Italy. But I digress. 

Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom

Words and music have helped me through life. Music reminds us we are never alone, that we are each a part of a wonderful story that is, in turn, a part of ourselves. Our emotions are the same as everyone's, and our experiences contribute to this collective knowledge that grows and continues beyond us. Music is a part of the universal language of love, compassion, emotion, and humanity that sustains us all.

I live in Italy now, and I’m fascinated by the sounds of contemporary Italian music, which has developed along the same lines as Britain, America, and Australia. I love the sounds of Italian rap artists like Fabri Fibra, Fedez, and Jovanotti, the trendy, almost K-pop sounds of Maneskine or the Kolors, and the soul singer sounds of Noemi and Fiorella Mannoia.

It is truly fascinating to think of how we each have a unique relationship with music and song. For me, it's about finding a unique sound or story which sticks to my mind. It may be something which gives me pleasure, helps me to forget, laugh or cry, but above all it’s a unique connection to an emotive universal language.

I want to write more about music, so I’ll publish occasional posts here about my eclectic listening habits and share some of my visceral reactions to different sounds. 

We all have a unique playlist connected with our personality, and our personal soundtracks accompany us through life. 

I love the idea that musical tastes are random. We discover music through endless sources, such as the radio, the internet, family, friends, lovers, and experiences. There is no wrong way to discover new types of music. We can never listen to everything, so the journey through music, like life itself, is distinctive and beautiful.

I hope you are enjoying the joy of music in your life.

Let me know what you are listening to now and what I should hear.

Take care of yourself, and thanks for letting me share my mind.

Regards from

Rochelle

Sometimes, I talk about Sicily.

Other times, I talk about whatever is on my mind.

My writing is always about lightning, the mental load, and sharing my thoughts.

I hope you enjoy the randomness of A Load Off My Mind. 

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