The noise in my head

I seem to have trouble posting consistently multiple days in a row... Work definitely has some affect on what I want to write about or whether I want to write at all after work, often times I don't. It sucks to just feel too tired to do anything creative after getting home.

Recently, I've been contemplating the affect music has on my own attitude or psyche, especially related to sports. I love to get jazzed up on some electro/house? I'm terrible at genres so don't hate. While we're talking about getting jazzed up, last year, for the first time ever in history the US had cyclocross worlds in the States rather than in Europe which is the birthplace of the sport. I went to Louisville, KY to watch and was completely blown away by the experience and totally fired up afterwards. It was 30 degrees or below, muddy/frozen ground and tons of spectators drinking beer and being merry. There were hordes of people chanting Belgian drinking songs, mainly just the Belgians but the Americans brought their A game and made me proud! Never before have I heard such loud, humbling cheering, not just for the American riders but for all nationalities! Even New Zealand pulling up the rear. Someone created a beautifully epic video to record the momentous occasion http://vimeo.com/59003307. When I warm-up for a race or in the early morning as I'm getting ready to head out to the races in some distant land I like to listen to something like this, https://soundcloud.com/yellowclaw/yellow-claw-amsterdam-twerk. Soundcloud is an awesome resource to find some cool music, specifically user created mixes.

In direct contrast to electro/house I really enjoy listening to Sigur Ros. Really beautiful and nostalgic in some way. I remember listening to them last year while riding back to Asheville, NC from Unicoi, TN after a cyclocrss race. You pass through some beautiful areas especially in the Fall during cross season. The mist lies above the bright reds and yellows of the trees like a thin blanket while traveling in the morning. Coming back, the sun casts beautiful golden rays onto the tree tops and creates such amazing contrast between the various lights and darks of the soft mountains and changing trees. It sets me into a place of amazement and awe. We often times slip right past such beautiful works of nature everyday whether it's the beauty of a fallen leaf or the architecture of a new spiders web adorned with glistening dew in the cool of the morning. It's a shame our lives don't move at a slower tempo sometimes. I just began listening to Sigur Ros' new album and it's another very impressive work, different than their past music but I appreciate the fact that they are moving along, slightly if nothing else, from their older work.

Sometimes, or maybe I should say often times, I don't actually listen to the music. I hear it of course but I don't analyze or look at music critically and sometimes I don't even appreciate it while hearing it especially if I already have decided that I like it. It's possible to see a song or album in a completely different light though when we actually sit down to focus, and to listen to music. Younger generations I fear will probably continue to lose the ability to think critically, not just because most schools don't teach it but also because music is such a compelling form of media for my generation and all the rest to come. Music is so readily available. A person can't go nearly an hour without listening to something whether in the car, at home, at work. Our society or culture, is completely engulfed by this all encompassing media.