By Frank “Smokin” Truatt
It has always been amazing to me how music can brighten your day and change your mood in a matter of seconds. A bouncy song can get your foot tapping and eventually bring a smile to your face. Familiar songs bring back memories of younger days, and for the most part, will take you away from reality on a three- or four-minute vacation. It’s a way to cleanse the pallet, refresh your brain and re-focus on what is happening in your life today. For me, an old song in a sense makes me feel younger. It brings me back to a time when life was more carefree, and the music of the day was an important part of our life.
The effect of feeling younger when you hear a song occurs as you picture yourself in that time with memories of a vacation with friends and loved ones or another adventure that has been long forgotten. Many songs do that for me, but during the holidays I watched a lot of television music specials, and this year many of those artists that make us feel young when we hear their music were anything but young on the stage. Granted, many can still belt out a tune, but for some, the years have taken their toll. Willie Nelson celebrated his 90th birthday with a country music special. The timeless musician always looked a bit older than he was, but can it be that these artists have gotten that old? Where have the years gone? Kris Kristofferson was on that special, only three years younger than Willie. Brenda Lee at 79 years of age, sang “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.“
Barry Manilow had a holiday special in which he also sang some of his pop hits. Barry could still carry a note and in a gutsy move, did a duet with himself from an old video from about 50 years ago. Dolly Parton sang at halftime on Thanksgiving and all those who watched were scrambling to find out who her plastic surgeon is! The point is that music, in its pure form, allows our minds to take us to the place we once were when that song was popular. In the 1970’s it was about the music, not the video. For many of the artists we liked, we imagined how they looked since very few videos were made at the time. It’s great to see that many can still perform and that they still love being on stage. But for me, no plastic surgeon is needed when I hear those old songs on the radio. So, take a break, throw on a favorite, and let the music do its magic. Enjoy finding the fountain of youth if only for a few fleeting minutes. Now if I could only get that feeling to last longer!
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