Share Your Music

 I just finished listening to a lecture series about the development of the American musical, so I'm planning a series on songs from shows that you really should hear.

Before I go into that, I'd like to talk a bit about why music is so important in my life (as it should be in everyone's). I grew up in a musical family. Not musically trained (at least not classically), but a musical appreciation family. A few examples:

I'm the only one with a real instrument in this picture (Kazoo)

• My parents met at the Kerrville Folk Festival in the 70s.
• Some of my earliest memories are my dad and his friends sitting around the porch with their guitars and banjos in a jam session.
• My mom used to sing us to sleep and wake us up by playing music (usually Thus Spoke Zarathustra)
• My mom was a preschool teacher for most of my life. She would play the harmonica for the children (and by extension us). In fact, she taught young kids for so long that she still sounds like she's singing when she talks (like your voice does when your talking to a little child).
• My family has hosted an annual caroling party at the house that I grew up in for the past 30 years (here's our songlist; I updated it a few years ago).
• The whole family sang in the 9:30 St. William choir growing up. My dad played bass and my sister was a cantor.
• In high school, my sister learned to play electric guitar, percussion, and bass clarinet.
• When my brother Philip was angry in his moody teenage years, he would shoot pool in the garage while singing Everclear and other indie groups at the top of his lungs.
• My brothers were both leads in musicals their senior year: Philip was Charlie Brown in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown and James was Shoeless Joe in Damn Yankees.

As for me? I love musicals (or any musical performance really):

• My first date with Mrs. Goertz was to see Jesus Christ Superstar
• Our first dance at our wedding reception was to Something Good (from The Sound of Music)
• We saw Legally Blonde in New York on our honeymoon
• We used to have season tickets to the opera (I don't like the parking mess these days)
• The coolest thing I did this summer was attend a concert about the history of American music in a cave!
• By a rough count, I have seen over 65 musicals (including films, excluding Disney films)

Where am I going with this (I almost forgot myself)? Music is meant to be heard, to be shared. All of the above examples were not private (I use earbuds at the gym since I don't want to break others' concentration. That's about the only time that I do). At home, I let others know what I'm listening to. If you walk into my office here at school unannounced, you will hear what I am hearing. 

Your choice of music is an important part of your identity. Don't keep it to yourself. Share it so that people understand you and (by extension) the world a little better. 

This is my YouTube Music 2023 Recap. The odd top tracks are songs that are in my "Calm Working" playlist.