playlist
Beat's recommended playlist for all of your musical needs.
Melodic Memories
I stepped off the school bus and into the chilly December air. Shivering, I trudged up the driveway, the loose gravel crunching beneath my feet. As I opened the front door, I was greeted with a preternatural silence that stopped me in my tracks. Listening for a moment, I entered the house and crept into the kitchen. There, I saw my parents silently slumped over steaming mugs of tea at the table. My father raised his head and gave me a weak smile, while my mother did not move. I was only eleven, but I was smart enough to know: someone had died.
By Amanda Ciufecu3 years ago in Beat
It's really all about that bass.
In my life, I have always been the strong, secure friend. I am snarky and blunt, and I might act like it's killing me, but I will take care of you better than your own family. I will know your shoe size, middle name, favorite food, and what time you need to be at work. At first, I'm told, I'm intimidating, then you work with me or see me in action, and you're intrigued. Somehow, I will manage to know what you need before you need it, and this makes me a valuable friend or coworker. It also makes me a target because people who struggle to manage their feelings, communication, and relationships look to me to stabilize them. They think I'm tough enough to take them at their worst, so that's exactly what I get. I'm like an anchor, but I'm a dysfunctional anchor with a side of toxic empathy. I need exceptionally steady people in my corner.
By Mel Danielle3 years ago in Beat
Dancing To The Music Of Life
How does one compile a soundtrack to a life that has been so varied and unpredictable? A life full of joy, on one hand, but seared with pain, hurt trauma, parental rejection, and mind-boggling struggles? Nothing can ever really convey the impact and the uneven rhythm of such a life.
By Elaine Sihera3 years ago in Beat
My Life's Long Melody
My life in music was ever-flowing. We all have those times with those songs at that time in our lives. It says how we feel; some pieces are lighter, while others are darker. Life’s ups and downs can make all the difference in the tone and melody. We start out early with the best songs of happiness and learning. This turns into much darker pieces when growing becomes difficult, and our minds are in more difficult places. So, most of us run to the music of our preferences. It may be many things that soothe the situation. As I look through my life, I go back to find the many songs that spoke to me. I have liked several genres: children’s, contemporary Christian, rock, pop, and even an occasional country song. I have even liked songs from different generations if they have the right sound. Even an older folk song has its importance. I have realized that all music has significance and have tried other pieces and even groups throughout the years.
By Sarah Danaher3 years ago in Beat
Love and Loss
The Hologram / Binary Sunset (Star Wars: A New Hope) This piece captures a moment I barely remember. Already familiar with the film, I was in our "new" house, so I was at least eight years old. And I was watching Star Wars: A New Hope for the umpteenth time.
By Jacinth Ryse3 years ago in Beat
Nothing Ever Lasts Forever
Fleet Foxes - Blue Ridge Mountains “I'm sure it'll be fine I love you, I love you Oh, brother of mine” It is 2011, I am 15, and my older brother has moved eight hours north. It was the right move for his immediate family, but it breaks mine and my mother’s hearts regardless. Particularly because this also meant that my 3 year old nephew – my mom’s first grandchild – would no longer be living an easy 30 minutes from us. No more afternoon babysitting that involved splashing in the pool and watching Power Rangers and Finding Nemo. But their new home is beautiful; Mount Shasta, near the California-Oregon border. It snowed the night we arrived to help them move. We took flashlights out to watch as the delicate flakes fell between the tall pines and landed in our hair and on our coats. They will be fine. I’m sure of it. The homemade art hung on the wall, the half melted candles lit for dinners that go long into the night, the spices on the counter, and the cat nestled on the armchair in the living room all tell me so.
By S. C. Almanzar3 years ago in Beat
Musical Roller Coaster
My parents always had music playing in the car and being a military family, we were in the car a lot. We would travel long distances across the USA to visit family from whatever part of the country the military dropped us in for the next few years. The radio was always playing, and we listened to a wide variety of music from the 60s through whatever was current at the time. Many songs I listened to then are still on rotation today. The songs on this playlist mean a lot to me for different reasons. Some are empowering or happy and some are sad, others are in between. Sometimes a song strikes a chord (pun intended) with a person, and they never really know why. The first song that I fell in love with was one of the latter. I was too young to understand the song, but I imagine the combination of the jangly guitars and the sound of Susanna Hoffs’ voice just made me happy.
By Heather Dotson3 years ago in Beat
Thanks, Phil
In 1986, when I was fourteen years old, my folks told me and my brothers that we were moving. I had just started ninth grade at Johnson Junior High School and had been looking forward to being the “upperclassman”. I was going to be in the Junior ROTC class, I was going to take up the saxophone. I even had a friend, who was a GIRL, and who seemed to kind of tolerate me, which was an unusual state of affairs up to that point. The news that we were moving over a THOUSAND miles away was devastating.
By Noel T. Cumberland3 years ago in Beat
