What's Your Soundtrack?

Music is a huge part of our culture. And for most of us, music is a big part of our everyday life. Think about the volume of music you listen to everyday. If it's not streaming into your ears directly through an iPod, car/home stereo, or other MP3 device, you're getting it through some other means. Maybe from a TV show you watch or from walking past a home or apartment where the owner's favorite songs are blaring for all to hear.

Or maybe you're walking in the mall, in the park , or along the road where cars drive by pumping their favorite jams and you, the unintentional passer-by, get to hear the soundtrack to another's life. The question is, "what is your life's soundtrack?" What is the music that gets into you and doesn't let go?

Music is all around us - I'd even say it's unavoidable - and that holds true even more for youth today. I am not that guy who says, "Well I work for a church so I only endorse Christian music because that's the only music that uplifts and gives a positive message." That's simply not true (of me or in general). My being a Christian doesn't automatically mean that I like all Christian music; in fact, some artists have surprised me by even garnering enough attention to get a record contract. I also see no conflict in being a follower of Jesus and liking 'non-Christian' music - which I would label as traditionally 'secular' music or songs by Christian artists that don't have any overt Christian words or tone (like SCC's song "Cinderella"). 

But I guess you could say I've become something of a fuddy-duddy in the sense that I no longer have the high tolerance for music with lots of cusses and questionably amoral lyrics. That got me to thinking about how record companies label the music on their brand. It seems like music that has profanity is labeled "Explicit," while music that simply has a bad message, degrades others, or destroys good character traits (like respect, honor, honesty, etc.) gets a clean bill of health and is peddled for all to consume. This issue became 'current' for me again this week when I heard about a song by a new popular group (whose name is in itself a blatant curse) that talks about parading a man's 'junk' out in the open, as though this makes him sexy. Whether it was written with comical intent or not, the thoughts it generates are not easily removed from the music.  Nevertheless, it's not labeled as explicit, even though it is sexually explicit in its lyrics.

So I'm curious, what kind of music do you listen to and what is it about that music that attracts you? Do you feel that music affects your speech and behavior? If this is something you haven't thought of before, take a week to consciously think about your life and the influence (or lack thereof) that music plays in it. Then get back to me. I'd love to hear your thoughts!