Monday 18 November 2013

Soundtrack to my afternoon

At the weekend I hosted an afternoon tea party which seemed pretty successful. I hadn't set up any music but had the radio on and just by chance 6music played some jazz and chilled out tunes which were quite fitting with the ambience. 

Just prior to my visitors arriving I'd been listening to an interview with Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth (one of my big girl crushes!) Music is such a big part of my life and I haven't really shared what I'm in to. Although to be honest, I don't really know where to start!

Even during the bad times with my illness, I've always listened to music, I know I'm lucky as I'm aware some people with ME are very sensitive to sound. I've even dragged myself along exhausted to gigs and festivals as I've wanted to see the particular band/singer so much!

My tastes vary; as a teenager I was into a lot of dance music and indie but listened to a lot of sixties, jazz and classical (I played viola and violin and still do sometimes!), then an old boyfriend was into rap and hip-hop which I started listening to in my late teens/ early twenties. But my main influence with music was my husband. He introduced me to a lot of different bands and genres and I would say he has very similar tastes to myself. When we first got together he made me up a few mix-tapes for the car which I still have (and treasure even though I've nothing to play them on!)

I love to listen to my old dance tunes and reminisce about the past fondly. For me music is so powerful and can really shift my mood both positively and negatively. I do get times when I can't tolerate it though. My husband likes to listen to some pretty avant-garde stuff some days which I can't deal with.

At the moment I'm listening to a lot of funk and soul and rockabilly. Other bands/singers/djs that are special to me include Beck, Moby, Fatboy Slim, Beastie Boys, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Jurassic 5, Doves, Orbital, Parliament, Funakdelic, King Creosote, Daft Punk, Qotsa, The Black Keys, The Beta Band and a lot of newer Indie bands.  However my all time favourite band are Belle and Sebastian. And by concindence it wasn't until I started reading Just a Modern Rock Story  that I realised the lead singer Stuart Murdoch had been very unwell with ME while at university and had to take a good few years out. It was during this time that he wrote a lot of his songs. This interview talks a little about his experience of CFS. It appears that he is well nowadays or at least in control of his illness. I've posted you one of my favourites :) Does music play a part in your life? What tunes help you cope on your dark days?




4 comments:

  1. I love a good tea party! and your tea set is lovely. I find music quite difficult to tolerate some days but when I can listen to it I really enjoy it! I love Belle and Sebastian too

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  2. Thanks Hayley a friend gave me the teaset for my bday. She knows me well! :) glad you like b&s too! :) x

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  3. Aww lovely, such a lovely idea. I sometimes do teaparties with my girls, but haven't branched further than that! Yours looks lovely!! I'm not really able to tolerate music much, but do love the concept of it (if that makes sense!)

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  4. @The M.E. mum, I do love an afternoon tea. I'm lucky to live in Edinburgh where there are a lot of lovely cafes with vintage crockery and delicious cakes! But yes I can understand the sensitivity to sound. Always made tougher when there is chatting above the music too!

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