Thursday 7 April 2016

Music and Words Award #MWA

My good friend and fellow blogger Jessica nominated me for a Music and Words Award a few weeks ago, which I have now accepted. This is the first award I have ever received for my blog and I thank Jessica for it. I am required to perform the following five steps and answer the subsequent five questions:

1.) Link back to the person who nominated you.
2.) Answer the questions with words AND music.
3.) Pass the award on to 5 bloggers who inspire
     you with their posts about music. Be sure to
     notify them about the award.
4.) Tag your post with #MWA for Music & Words
     Award so we can all find you down the line.
5.) Quote these 5 steps and display the award icon
     in your post and also on your sidebar if you wish.

The Q & A 

1. What Does Music Mean to You?

One of music's main two benefits is that it cheers us up when we are down and/or gives us energy when we need a boost. Are you upset? Listen to something that makes you happy. Feeling lethargic? Listen to something that wakes you up and causes you to move. Feeling nostalgic? Listen to something that causes you to revisit old memories.

Music's other main benefit is that it is a uniting force. Finding a person who dislikes music is a nearly impossible task due to its ability to transcend demographic groups and personal opinions. One person can be a heterosexual atheist man who is politically liberal while another is a bisexual Christian woman with libertarian tendencies but both can find common ground in, say, a mutual appreciation for Evanescence or Iggy Azalea. This is far preferable to conflict and division.

A generic post on the benefits of music was one of my first blog pieces. For a song that fills me with energy, here is "Don't Be So Hard on Yourself" by Jess Glynne:


2. What is your first music related memory?

In the early 1990s, I recall Dad playing CDs by Enya and The Buggles; that's how I came to know "Orinoco Flow" and "Video Killed the Radio Star". A few years later, Dad introduced me to the Pet Shop Boys. All three of these musical artists have stuck with me all these years later. Here is "Orinoco Flow":


3. What was the first album you purchased yourself?

That would be Hot Fuss - The Killers and The Vienna I Love - Andre Rieu (for Mum). I was ripped off because I paid for useless insurance for both albums. That being said, that incident never dampened my enjoyment of either album.

"Everything Will Be Alright" is my favourite song from Hot Fuss, despite the wording error in the song's title:


4. What was the latest music you purchased? (No online streaming or free downloads,
I’m talking about cash here!)

Disclosure's Settle, which I bought from the HMV in Nottingham's Victoria Centre. I'm not usually into their sort of music, as they fall somewhat into the dubstep genre, but their use of quality guest vocalists and lack of the usual annoying dubstep beats makes them worthy of my attention. From Settle is "White Noise" featuring AlunaGeorge, which is my second-favourite Disclosure song and the track that created my interest in them:


5. Which song did you listen to last? (No cheating, come out with the dirty pleasures!)

The Black Space remix of ODESZA and Zyra's "Say My Name". I often listen to this song while riding the bus but I listened to it earlier as the last song before I went to bed. I'd never heard of ODESZA or Zyra until I stumbled across them one day on Soundcloud.


My nominations

I don't know enough other music bloggers to nominate for this award! Jessica is an obvious choice but she's already been nominated. My best choice is Stephanie at World Turn'd Upside Down; Stephanie is another friend of mine and while her blog is primarily about United States history and re-enactments, she occasionally posts about historical music, which I think qualifies her for this award. Thus, I nominate Stephanie.

4 comments:

  1. Wonderful post, Andrew! I agree with music being a uniting force - I think music is wonderful in that respect! At my full time job I'm known as the "undercover gangsta." I guess my fascination with some gangsta rap has helped a bit at that job. HAHAHA. :D

    Ah, yes, Enya... I like her voice and she is soothing. I should find the only album I have from her.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! :)

      Yes, it's one way to heal over wounds and unite the world. Much more preferable to constant conflict.

      Enya is awesome. :)

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