Addicted

Music: an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.

Hello, my name is Candace Mann and I’m addicted to music.  And I would like to stay that way...forever.

I grew up in a musical home.  Both my parents sing very well and have been in regular rotation of my church’s worship team for as long as I can remember.  Early mornings of waking up, getting ready, and watching our mom and dad practice up on stage while sitting in the row next to my sisters and eventually my little brother before church started on Sunday mornings was a common occurrence.  Music was engrained into us. 

Country music was also big in my family and every time we visited my Grandma in Stockton, the sibs and I would do two specific things: swim in the pool, or watch country music videos.  It’s how we grew up…and let’s just say Amanda may or may not have had a thing for Billie Ray Cyrus after watching his “Achy Break-y Heart” music video.  I also used to think that I was pretty much as good at singing as Carrie Underwood is…When now I think I need voice lessons. ;)

Along with those musical experiences, concerts were also something that my parents made a part of our childhood experience.  Point of grace (more than once!), Plus one, Rachael Lampa, Jackie Velasquez, Garth Brooks, Niel McCoy, and Billy Dean pretty much sum them up (I think).

I’m sure you get the picture by now…Music in my family is kind of a big deal, but recently I’m starting to realize that to me, it’s even more. 

When I hear a song for the first time, I can usually tell within seconds of it starting whether I like it or not.  And when I like a song, I don’t just like it, I love it.  The first thing I do is repeat it over and over, and by about the third time of hearing it, I know about 75% of the lyrics and start to sing along.  Next, I repeat it about 50 more times and while I do that I explore the song.  See, for me, music has layers and I want to understand every single one of them.  I want to see the image that the artist is painting through their music, I want to know and understand every little hidden piece of meaning behind the words that they chose to sing about. I want to hear the specific notes of the piano, guitar, bass, drums, Cowbell…all of it.  I literally get lost in the songs that I love.  I let them envelope me and take me to where the artist wants me to go. 

Around the time of my freshman year in high school I got pretty tired of listening to Christian music; it seemed like all these young artists on Christian radio were simply choosing an artist from the secular scene, copying their sound, and pasting Christian lyrics on top..and it. drove. me. nuts.  My middle child self that has, and continues to struggle with longing to stand out and originality simply could not tolerate it.  Instead I listened to secular music, and I loved it.  There is something about a good love song that breaks my heart and sows it back together 2 times bigger than it was before, that I can’t even handle.  It’s just so good!  The first time I heard Magic by Colbie Caillat I’m pretty sure I cried…just sayin’.

 BUT!....sometimes I get so wrapped up in those amazinggg songs that I forget about something entirely and infinitely more important.  Worship songs..are the ultimate love songs.  Throughout my high school career, I was so focused on not listening to copy cats, that I ended up avoiding worship music on accident as well, when in fact,  Worship music is completely different than “positive alternative” music…and it took me far too long to realize. 

ALL worship music is about the ultimate relationship.  No, not Noah and Ally’s, Ours and The Lord’s.  Worship music can be the strongest and most intense vocal expression of our love for the God of our Universe, and His love for us.  “He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane I am a tree bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy,” “Holding me still, holding me near, In Your arms of love," “Without you I fall apart, you’re the one that guides my heart,” “Show me how to love like you have loved me,” “Be all my hopes, be all my dreams
be all my delights, be my everything,” and “My heart is glad that You've called me Your own. There's no place I'd rather be,” Are just a few parts of the many love songs that exist between us and our Savior.  And I have got to remember this!

Yes, some secular love songs are incredible to the point that others can’t even hold a candle to them…but no secular love song can hold a candle to the love songs between us and our maker…the kind of song that fill your heart to the brim with love, and comfort, and peace, and security, and commitment...and in my opinion, everyone should be addicted to that.  =)