“MUSIC, makes the people come together.” Madonna

I was raised by sincere music lovers. My mom and dad both love music. Growing up my mom listened to everything except country and hard rock. My dad mostly listened to jazz and R&B. They framed my love for all genres of music; giving me an inclusive pallet that is still reflected in my preferences today.

I fell in love with music around the age of 7 or 8. My mom’s boyfriend at the time taught me how to keep a beat. OMG! I could not stop tapping on things. Every time I heard a song I’d tap out the beat. It drove my sisters crazy. He eventually taught me how to listen for the poly rhythms and other instrumentations. Somewhere along the way I learned how to identify an intro, verse, chorus, and bridge.

I’m sure this stemmed from always having music playing around me; whether it be in the house, in the car, on the patio, at my sisters’ concerts, or in church. Music has always been around me. Because I have such a love for music I always have a song in my head/heart. That’s why I was able to relate to Ally McBeal so much.

As a musician, vocalist, and dancer I have acquired a very unique ear for music. I have this odd ability to name a tune off of 4-6 beats. My friends love it when we’re out. I know just when to head to the dance and just when to leave.

Now, because I am competitive I know lyrics well too. My cousin and I used to have lyric battles to see who knew them better. But for a long time, I claimed myself as just a “beats girl”. If the beat was sweet I nearly could care less what the lyrics said. I grew out of this in my mid 20’s, and lyrics became very important to me. Acknowledging their relevance has been very impactful on my life. So, when I chose to make a playlist for my 40th birthday I was cognizant about choosing songs that spoke to me both rhythmically and lyrically.

I created the list along with a friend that loves music maybe more than I do. We exchanged a lot of texts from TIDAL and Spotify to get this thing together. I contemplated putting them in some type of order. But I just could not figure out one that made any amount of sense. So, they are listed just as they are…in no order. Each one has a special meaning to me. Each one has lyrics that spark my mind, and rhythms that make me want to dance.

I plan on writing about each one in these regards over the next 20 few days. I hope you enjoy the journey through my music. Now listen, here is the link to my playlist. If you don’t have TIDAL that’s okay. Swing on over to Spotify or YouTube. You can find the songs there if you need a sound refresher. But if you’re a true music fan you need TIDAL.

BESOS!...Love & Light…Peace

3.26.2018