Play Count: 513
Though the play count for this song may seem unbelievably high, I urge my readers to trust me that this number is in fact legitimate. After much contemplation and brainstorming about what my next blog post should be about, I realized that it was a no-brainer. The song Human by Jon McLaughlin, each time I listen to it, brings me back memories of a certain feeling that I can only do my best to describe.
Though it may sound childish (being that I am an 18 year old college student), I have attended sleep away camp for the past ten summers of my life. At Camp Kinder Ring, I learned to grow and develop into the person that I am today. Kinder Ring is the place where I met my ten best friends, I learned to love to shower with flip flops, I became able to feel confident enough to portray the weirdest sides of myself to my bunkmates, and I began to understand what it really felt like to have a home away from home.
You are probably questioning what Camp Kinder Ring has to do with Jon McLaughlin's music and lyrics. My answer to this question is...everything.
When I was a "teen" (this is what the 15-16 year old age group is titled) in the summer of 2007, our division was responsible for writing a song together and performing it in front of the camp before an important ceremony. Every year, the teens are given this responsibility and it is taken extremely seriously. Though it seems like a simple task, the song choice is extremely important because it is a melody that should be memorable and significant, as this song represents a milestone in our camp experience. After several hours of bickering and listening to an array of songs, we had finally agreed that this song was perfect.
We all sat down and wrote meaningful lyrics to Jon McLaughlin's melody. The lyrics represented the entire division, all 26 of us. The song involved lines that described our anticipation and butterflies that we had felt when we first drove through the gates of Camp Kinder Ring on the first day of camp. The song then went into detail describing how we were able to overcome our greatest fears and make friendships that will last us a lifetime within the gates of our summer "fantasy land". We coined this term because we all agree that the things that we have experienced together were nothing short of magical. As we wrote the lyrics all together, we pressed pause, rewind, and play countless times to make sure that our words matched the melody. We chose every word carefully, and we practiced singing our new alma-mater until it sounded flawless. As the ceremony approached in August, we all were anxious to give back to Kinder Ring what it had given to us. We sang about our friendship, our love, and our spirit for the place that we all we all had grown up and learned to accept the worst and the best in each other and also in ourselves.
I title my post "McLaughter and Tears" because the feeling that this song brings to me each time I listen to it I can only describe as bittersweet. Each time I hear the melody, I think of my camp experience and how fast time truly does pass us by. I think of the happiness I experienced on the first day of camp, and the sadness that I felt on the last night in August. It feels like just yesterday I was eight years old and watching the older girls sing their song to all of camp, and I can remember only hoping to be them one day. The incoming summer of 2010 is going to be the first summer where I do not return to 335 Sylvan Lake Road; Hopewell Junction, New York with my ten best friends. However, even though we live far apart and do not always get to see each other, I will always have Jon McLaughlin in my i-tunes library just a click away.
Both of your blogs deal with the power of music to elicit strong memories and emotions with which we associate songs. I'm sure all of us have similar stories and an relate to what you're saying. What I'm hoping you will do, in future entries, though is spend less time relating your anecdote and more time analyzing its underlying issues. As I've noted to others, the stases can often be a helpful way of identifying the sorts of issues you can explore: Definition - what role(s) does music play in life-what is music to me?; Cause- what is it about music (in particular) that so readily binds it to a times/events that are then recalled by memory? what about particular songs appeals to me (before they serve as significant life markers)?; Evaluation is this memory trigger role a good or bad aspect of music; Action-should we stick to listening to the meaningful standbys or genres that we know we like or should we willfully expand our listening practices? Try to analyze the significance of your music related stories in your own life and try to relate those insights into more universal positions regarding the value/role of music.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea for your blog was really great. So many people say that music got them through something, helped them overcome some hardship in their lives. But I think it’s so important to make the distinction that a song has the ability to transcend the moment it’s being played in, and can effectively tell a story that has nothing to do with it’s lyrics. And the wonderful thing is that story is unique to everyone.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be really cool for you to explore how/why music of different genres that you’re not normally interested in can play a huge role in changing your life. I always felt that listening to a new type of music could help you experience a feeling or emotion that you weren’t even aware you had in you. Have you ever listened to a type of music that can make you instantly happy, regardless of your circumstances? That’s ska for me. Have you ever heard a song that made you wonder what is this other crap you’ve been listening to all your life? That’s a realization I’ve come to recently. Have you ever listened to a song once, and completely disregarded it, or thought nothing of it, and then listened to it again and were completely mindblown, or angry that you hadn’t seen the beauty in the composition or lyrics earlier? And can music create a memorable time in your life, instead of it representing a time in your life? I remember days that wouldn’t have been the same without the epic soundtrack. And instead of hearing a song and thinking of a moment, I think of the moment or see a person and associate them with a song. Was there ever a concert that changed your life? Not because of the things you did at the concert, not because of the company you kept, but just because of the music?
I’m excited to see what other songs you analyze!
I totally understand where you are coming from when you describe camp. I attended a camp in upstate New York (like, 6 hours from the city, and 2 from Montreal), and of course have memories and emotions akin to those that you have, due to camp. I had never heard this song (I’m listening to it now), let alone the artist, but from what I recall of the eldest camper-girls from my camp years, I bet both your version and the original is full of sentimental values, sexual and non-sexual innuendoes, and intense love for the camp.
ReplyDeleteDo you still keep in touch with your camp friends? I do; I was a counselor there for the past two summers, and have thus strengthened relationships that were close to rivalries when we were all pubescent punks. Also, I wish you posted your own lyrics; I know that they do hold great meaning for you, but after hearing the original, I am interested in the fabricated rhymes.
Also, for sake of more insight into your camp experiences, are there any songs that just make your eyes well up and make you close to crying? There are for me; we sing a version of “County Road,” by John Denver (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-SU7ix8Zjc), and even the original song chokes me up. Other tunes from camp, and even those that were written for or about a different camp hold the same thoughts and feelings stir a unique emotion within me.
Also, are there more reasons why you all chose this particular song? Did your camp sing it around the fire, or did it just so happen that one of you played it on your CD player (right time frame?) and everyone just really dug the vibes?
I really enjoy reading your opinions and tales of how music influences your life, and the lives of those around you. Keep it up!